Marijuana Users Have Triple the Odds for Leg Artery Disease, Study Suggests

 

MONDAY, May 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking cigarettes has long been linked to peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition where the buildup of plaque narrows arteries and limits blood flow to the legs or arms.

Now, a new study suggests that marijuana may have a similar impact, after finding that users had three times the risk of developing PAD.

Although the study is preliminary and doesn’t determine whether the impact is all from smoking weed or other popular methods of using the drug, such as eating cannabis-infused gummies, it may be a red flag for users and could be something their doctors should ask about to gauge risk factors for their patients.

“Marijuana users should seek early evaluation by a health care professional if they have symptoms such as leg pain while walking, slower/no hair growth and coldness in the leg as there seems to be an increased risk for developing PAD in this patient population,” said study authors Dr. Hirva Vyas from Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey and Dr. Harsh Jain, a resident with the Montefiore Health System in New York City.

Read More Marijuana Users Have Triple the Odds for Leg Artery Disease, Study Suggests