Risk Of Post-Surgery Heart Attack Doubled For Individuals With Cannabis Dependence
Source: Thailand Cannabis News Jan 02, 2020 4 years, 11 months, 4 weeks, 12 hours, 52 minutes ago
Individuals with active
cannabis dependence and abuse were nearly twice as likely to suffer a
heart attack after
surgery, according to a study led by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto.
The research, published in the Online First edition of
Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), also found the prevalence of
cannabis dependence or abuse recorded among
surgical patients increased significantly over the last decade.
Medical researchers analyzed the records of over 4 million adults in the United States from 2006 to 2015 undergoing one of 11 common elective procedures including knee or hip replacement, gallbladder removal, caesarian section, hysterectomy, and hernia repair.
Dr. Karim Ladha, a clinician-scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital and lead author of the study told
Thailand Medical News, "While
cannabis is often purported as being safe or benign, we don't fully understand the health implications of this drug, particularly in heavy users. The results of this study make it clear that we need to pay more attention to
cannabis users undergoing
surgery."
The team noted that this research was the first step in determining whether there is any association between
cannabis use disorders and perioperative outcomes. Dr. Ladha's subsequent work will prospectively follow patients with self-reported
cannabis use disorder undergoing
surgery using a more detailed method of data collection to determine if the association persists.
The study findings did not show a difference in overall outcomes between patients who had a
cannabis use disorder and those who did not. However, in addition to increased
cardiac risk, there was evidence that patients with
cannabis use disorders were possibly at an increased
risk for a
stroke.
Reference : Akash Goel et al. Cannabis Use Disorder and Perioperative Outcomes in Major Elective Surgeries, Anesthesiology (2019). DOI: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000003067
