Marijuana Users Have Over Three Times the Risk of Developing Peripheral Artery Disease

Marijuana users incur more than three times the risk of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to a study presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions.

The growing legalization of marijuana has led to increased use, with now 50 million people reporting having used it at least once. Previous studies have assessed the impact of marijuana use on overall health, however, little research has examined how it affects the vascular system.

In this study, Hirva Vyas and colleagues obtained data on over 30 million patients from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2016-2019. Inclusion criteria was defined as a diagnosis of marijuana use and PAD, with patients stratified based on percutaneous lower extremity vascular intervention.

The findings showed that marijuana users were more than three times as likely to develop PAD compared to the general public (OR= 3.68, p<0.001), but had no statistically notable increased risk of death or the need for a percutaneous intervention.

“With the increase in marijuana use in the U.S., our findings show that users should be aware of the symptoms of PAD such as leg pain while walking, slower or no hair growth and feelings of coldness in the leg,” said Dr. Vyas, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ and lead author of the study via a press release. “We know PAD is a progressive disease that can drastically impact quality of life, making ongoing monitoring of this patient population critical.”

Source: Vyas H, Jain H, Benz M. mpact of Marijuana Use on Prevalence and Interventions in Peripheral Artery Disease. Presentation C-31. Published for the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions; May 18-20, 2023, Phoenix, AZ.