A new research has found out that using marijuana can increase a person's risk of getting heart failure and stroke. Since more and more states in the U.S. are legalizing marijuana, the Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia has found an excuse to stop them.
Marijuana is mostly legal in many U.S. states as a medicinal thing. They are used to treat a number of conditions, such as pain, seizures and nausea. Moreover, a previous study has found that it can also help with pulmonary and psychiatric complications, reported Medical Xpress.
"Like all other drugs, whether they're prescribed or not prescribed, we want to know the effects and side effects of this drug," said Aditi Kalla, MD, Cardiology Fellow at the Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia and the study's lead author. "It's important for physicians to know these effects so we can better educate patients," Kalla added. There are those people who are asking about the safety of marijuana and for a prescription of it, CBS Philly stated.
The study reviewed 1,000 health records from the hospitals. The ages of the patients were from 18 to 25 years old, stated Kalla. They found out that the people who used marijuana had a 10 percent chance of getting a heart failure, while a 26 percent chance that people who used the same substance will get a stroke. They also found out that pot directly impacts the heart. This particular study was done in 2009 to 2010 when marijuana is still illegal in most states.
The heart does not pump that well because the heart cells of the human body cannot squeeze enough as they are being affected by marijuana, said Dr. Kalla. He wants the government and the communities to know that there are these kinds of effects when using marijuana. Not only psychiatric and respiratory problems are the side effect of cannabis, the scientific name of marijuana. Additionally, it can also impair learning, memory and attention.
