Cannabis and other recreational drugs linked to increased Atrial Fibrillation

[KMRobbo]

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

[Paulbounce]

Hi Rob.

Interesting article - thanks for sharing.

'cannabis use was linked to a 35% increase in the chances of developing AFib'. Frighting thought. I think some people believe that smoking cannabis makes you feel more relaxed - hence reduces HR. It doesn't - it increases your HR which can trigger afib in those with the condition. Each to their own and I have no problem with someone who takes it (one of my friends does) but for me personally I think it's best kept away from - certainly if you have afib.

Paul

[malaekahana in reply to Paulbounce]

I think it depends upon the strain of cannabis: sativa will definitely increase the heart rate, whereas indica generally slows it. That's one of the reasons that those using medical marijuana most often are prescribed indica. I found this qualification interesting:  "Furthermore, those with cannabis use exhibited similar relative risk of incident AF as those with traditional tobacco use (HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.30–1.40 vs. HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.32–1.33)." So cannabis use prompts afib about as much as does tobacco use.

There may still be some unknown covariances that this study did not account for--mostly notably stress, for example, because we know that stress is a trigger. And those in high stress situations (work life, home life) might be prone to use cannabis to unwind.

I also wonder if the study addressed the means of ingesting cannabis, i.e., smoking vs. edibles, as perhaps something is going on simply with the agitation in the lungs--as it might impact the vagus nerve. It's a tantalizing study that probably merits further investigation.

[Paulbounce in reply to malaekahana]

Interesting reply malaekahana. I fully support medicial use of the drug if your doctor is in agreement - it does help with certain conditions without a doubt. However many users buy from street dealers as it is illegal in the the UK and not therefore not regulated. There are many documented cases of people buying cannabis that has been laced with another drug (cocaine for example) to give more of a 'high'. You pay your money and take your chance but never know what you are taking buying from a 'street dealer'. There is an argument for an Amsterdam approach of making it legal - there the cannabis cafes are regulated and don't try to force you to try harder drugs. There is a lower percentage of people there that use stronger drugs (heroin etc) than the UK.

I'll link to an article below which explains the different strains and side effects these may cause. My take is it's best avoided unless it's for medicial use.

A bit off topic I know. Drinking can be a trigger for some people, not all, but binge drinking certainly is. It's one of rare things when people who stop can revert naturally to sinus. I really enjoy a beer but have not touched alcohol for weeks now. If it was a trigger for me I would be delighted if I convert to normal rhythm on my own. I don't think I will and hope my CV does the trick. Still never say never.

Paul

Edit - removed link as it might encourge younger forum members to try it. Possible side effects are

feelings of anxiety or paranoia

insomnia

drowsiness

increased appetite

dry mouth

dry eyes

dizziness

rapid heart rate

slowed reaction time

coordination issues

[CDreamer]

AND ….alcohol and tobacco was not included. Wonder what those percentages would be.

The concluding statements were of most interest

Differentiating whether the mode of cannabis consumption matters is an important next step.”

“An observational study such as this one is ill-equipped to confidently infer causal relationships. We also hope to perform prospective interventional studies to more definitively address unknown and unmeasured confounding that may have been operative, despite our best attempts at statistical adjustment.”– Dr. Gregory M. Marcus, study author

The emphasis of the phrasing of this observational study implies to me they are after funding to research cannabis specifically.

[pottypete1]

What a surprise.

[pottypete1]

Unfortunately I recently had first hand experience of being in close proximity of Cannabis.

We had a rare visit to my sister in law a couple of weeks ago. We have not done this for some time because of Covid and other personal issues but we wanted to support her as she wanted to scatter the ashes of her son who had committed suicide some years ago.

My sister in law has issues with alcohol and she also smokes Cannabis and tobacco.

Unfortunately she is very inconsiderate and whilst we were in her living room with her she proceeded to roll a Cannabis joint. I had never experienced this before even though I am now 75 years old and grew up in the swinging 60s. The preparation ritual involves grinding the drug and mixing it with tobacco and then rolling into a large "fag paper".

She did not light the joint indoors but the smell was overpowering and immediately my normally Bradycardic heart started to gallop.

Some of you will know that I have a history of AF going back over 30 years and that my AF is now largely under control after numerous ablations. However I felt really nauseous and had to go into the garden. She then came into the garden and things got worse because she then lit the joint.

I cannot express how nauseous and unwell I felt with just this pacif encounter. We very soon left and went home without making any comment. It took about half an hour for my heart to return to some form of normality.

My unsurprising conclusion is that it would not be a good idea for anyone with a heart arrhythmia problem to use these substances. But I think most of us knew that already.

Pete

[Auriculaire]

Cannabis has a very penetrating smell. I am not surprised you had such a bad reaction especially if it was your first time in close proximity to someone smoking a joint. I smoked cannabis for several years when I was young but gave up completely in the late 80s . More than 25 years later I developed afib but I suppose it could have had some influence.

[Hidden]

For cannabis, many people smoke it and this study doesn't account for that. There are now extracts easily available that are ingested in food etc, which do not involve damaging your lungs and heart with smoke. This would be akin to smoking our pills instead of swallowing them. Or smoking medicinal herbs instead of putting them in tea. Those who tell themselves that cannabis is good for their health, when their method of ingesting it is to smoke it, are delusional. That's a given.

This study tells us nothing about the actual effect of THC on AFIB.