Is Cannabis Effective in Preventing Heart Conditions?

Is Cannabis Effective in Preventing Heart Conditions?

cannabis and heart conditions

Once, we were taught the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” Over time that phrase changed to “a joint a day keeps the doctor away.” There are so many praises sung to cannabis and it seems to be one of the best preventative herbs on the planet. From something as serious as preventing brain tissue damage to strengthening bones, cannabis truly is a forceful prophylactic medicine. There are so many reasons to jump on the bandwagon and to use it whenever possible. The positive outcomes are more than the negative ones, but we still need to keep in mind that much more study has to go into understanding the effect of it on all conditions. Like with any medicine, it takes a few years to fully understand the implications of it all.

How Cannabis Help Heart Diseases

Ischemic Heart disease is one of the leading culprits in death all over the world. Better known as Coronary Heart Disease, or Coronary Artery Disease, it reduces oxygen flow to the heart due to the narrowing of the arteries. In the Western world, this is the leading cause of death because of poor eating habits and lifestyles.

Taking care of your health should be a priority for everyone, but very easily people neglect their health and end up with health issues that otherwise could have been avoided. High-stress levels and poor habits cause loads of problems. Cannabis can be incorporated as a daily health intake to diminish serious issues later on.

Cannabis Slows Down Arteriosclerosis

When fat and plaque deposits accumulate in the main arteries, it causes a chronic inflammatory condition. It would finally disrupt proper blood flow and the heart gets deprived of sufficient oxygen. Arteriosclerosis is caused by injuries to the arteries because of high blood pressure, amino acid accumulation, and infections. The end result is atherosclerotic lesions in the blood vessels. When CBD is used, the endogenous cannabinoid, Anandamide, reduces inflammation when it reacts to the CB2 receptors. In a study, it was shown that the phytocannabinoid CBD actively slows down arteriosclerosis in animals.

THC and CBD Protect the Brain from Injury

The cannabinoids THC and CBD have both neuroprotective properties. They are found to reduce glutamate toxicity. Glutamate is necessary for the brain to stimulate activity in the brain nerve cells. Sometimes they get over-stimulated and do not deactivate. It finally causes cell death or apoptosis. When cannabis is moderately administrated and taken regularly, it helps to counteract this phenomenon.

Cannabis also helps to stimulate neurogenesis. With aging, our brain slows down on regenerating new neurons. Studies show that cannabis is particularly beneficiary for neurogenesis of the adult brain. It furthermore prevents nerve-related diseases such as neuropathy and Alzheimer’s Disease.

How Cannabis Help Stroke Patients

As the cannabinoids are neuroprotective when an injury occurs, it is very helpful for someone suffering from a stroke. A stroke causes damage to the brain as a result of inflammation. CBD is a very potent anti-inflammatory. It plays a double role by reducing inflammation of the injured area but also the affected area surrounding the injury.

Cannabis and the Older Patient with Established Heart Conditions

When it comes to an older patient, some risks are not as clear cut as we would like it to be. It is the responsibility of the scientific community to educate patients more on how to use cannabis if they have occurring conditions. Specific dosages and the potential effect are vital. Even though marijuana has been used for ages, there is still not enough clarity on what the health effect on cardiovascular patients is. More so, when they are older.

In studies, they found that patients with established heart conditions developed chest pain faster after cannabis was smoked. The reason is that the cannabinoids have complex effects on the cardiovascular system. Resting heart rate raises and blood vessels dilate that causes the heart to work harder. The risk of a heart attack is higher in the first hour after smoking marijuana. People with minor cardiovascular conditions do not run that risk.

The Matter of Correct Dosages

For an older person, a too high dosage of cannabis can be fatal if the person is suffering from a heart condition. There is this case of a 70-year-old man that ate a THC infused lollipop to ease his pain. He had stable coronary artery disease and was on heart medication. The lollipop had a THC content of 90 mg. That was far too high and caused a heart attack. If he would have smoked a joint, it would have delivered only 7 mg. Patients must be informed about the potential side-effects of too high THC content when they have chronic coronary conditions.

Some Good Advice

Medical doctors advise people with coronary heart conditions to be careful when they take cannabis to improve their health. They don´t advise against it, but they suggest micro-dosing with a CBD dominant cannabis product at first. They are all on board with Cannabis being the best modulator for arteriosclerosis, and that it is a very good preventative remedy.