Analysis of STEMI and NSTEMI in a Community Cohort of Marijuana Users

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. Current research has yet to come to a consensus on its association with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Herein, we aimed to analyze how marijuana use relates to acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI).

Using a retrospective study design, we gathered data from August 2014 to September 2020 on all percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) done at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center (BUHMC) in patients with NSTEMI and STEMI. To compare marijuana users (MUs) with non-users, t-tests and Chi-square tests were used. A total of 195 patients were included, with mean age at presentation of 47 years old; 59 were females (30.3%) and 136 were males (69.7%). We identified 37 patients who were MUs. MUs were younger than non-users (P < 0.01), had higher rates of alcohol (P = 0.025), opiate (P = 0.004) and cigarette (P ≤ 0.001) use. On admission, MUs had lower creatinine (P = 0.031), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (P = 0.031), pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (PBNP) (P = 0.052), BMI (P = 0.014) and lower right coronary artery (RCA) disease (P = 0.026).

After logistic regression analyses, results showed that the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and admission diagnosis of STEMI or NSTEMI were not found to be significantly related to marijuana use. Age, alcohol, cigarette, creatinine, BUN, PBNP, BMI and RCA disease were significantly related to marijuana use. There was a negative correlation between marijuana use and RCA disease (MUs = 29.7% vs. non-users = 50%, P = 0.026). There was no significant association with STEMI, NSTEMI or the severity of CAD.

As daily cannabis use is on the rise, more researches are needed to further determine the effects of marijuana use on CAD.