Study: Cannabis Associated With Decreased In-Hospital Mortality In Heart Failure Patients
A history of cannabis use among patients with heart failure is associated with reduced odds of in-hospital mortality compared to similarly matched individuals who don’t use the plant, according to a new study published online by the journal Circulation.
For the study, researchers examined data from over six million heart failure patients over a seven-year period. They found that patients with a history of cannabis use were less likely to suffer from atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), experienced shorter hospital stays, and most importantly were less likely to die during hospitalization as compared to non-users.
“Our study showed that cannabis use lowered the odds of atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure,” states researchers. “There was also reduced in-hospital mortality among patients admitted for the primary diagnosis of heart failure in DU (cannabis dependent users) and NDU (non-dependent cannabis users) which was not explained by comorbid conditions and demographic data. This study provides important opportunity to explore the preventive mechanism of cannabis on atrial fibrillation and its therapeutic potential in heart failure patients.”
The results of the study are similar to research published last year in the journal Cancer Medicine which found that the “Odds of in-hospital mortality were significantly reduced among marijuana users compared with non-users in all hospitalized patients as well as cancer patients.”