Medical Science

Marijuana: Increased risk of stroke in stent patients

When arteries become blocked they can be opened by a minimally invasive medical procedure known as a Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) aka: Coronary Angioplasty. Here a catheter is inserted into the artery and the blockage is addressed by placing a stent which in turn increases blood flow by expanding the artery. The Journals of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) released the results of study in Michigan that examined post-PCI complications in patients who reported using marijuana compared to non-users. 

During a three year period and out of over 113,000 PCI patients, 3,970 patients were identified as being marijuana users. In reviewing the medical histories those that used marijuana and underwent a PCI procedure had a greater risk (odds ratio) for bleeding (1.54) and strokes (11.01). The authors stress that both clinicians and patients who use marijuana need to be aware of these increased risks for post-PCI adverse outcomes. 

Study citation:  J Am Coll Cardiol Intv. 2021 Aug, 14 (16) 1757–1767

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Photo: Unsplash / J. Ahmed