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The longitudinal relationship between cannabis use and hypertension
Ahmed Haleem1, Yoseob Joseph Hwang2, Tara Elton-Marshall3,4,5
1Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
Drug and Alcohol Review
|March 1, 2021
Summary
Cannabis use does not appear to increase hypertension risk. This large study found no significant association between lifetime or recent cannabis use and developing high blood pressure over three years.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Cardiovascular Health
- Cannabis Research
Background:
- Prior epidemiological studies have yielded unclear results regarding the relationship between cannabis use and hypertension.
- Understanding this association is crucial for public health given the increasing prevalence of cannabis use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal relationship between various patterns of cannabis use and the incidence of hypertension.
- To utilize a large, population-based sample from the USA for robust analysis.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) Waves 1 and 2 (2001-2005).
- Analysis included 26,844 participants without baseline hypertension, aged 40+.
- Multiple logistic regression models adjusted for confounders to assess associations between lifetime, 12-month, and frequency of cannabis use with hypertension incidence.
Main Results:
- Unadjusted analyses suggested a decreased incidence of hypertension with cannabis use, but this was confounded by age.
- After adjusting for confounders, no statistically significant association was found between lifetime cannabis use and hypertension incidence.
- Neither 12-month cannabis use nor its frequency (monthly or less) showed a significant association with the incidence of hypertension.
Conclusions:
- Lifetime cannabis use, 12-month cannabis use, and frequency of use were not associated with the incidence of hypertension in this large US population-based sample.
- The findings suggest that cannabis use, in the patterns examined, does not pose a risk for developing hypertension.
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