CMCR Investigators' Meeting
February 27, 2025
Jamie Corroon, ND, MPH, Assistant Project Scientist in the CMCR at the UC, San Diego, summarized findings from his two-year fellowship in cardiovascular disease epidemiology within the Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Corroon presented the results of five studies that investigated associations between regular cannabis use and several cardiovascular outcomes, including blood pressure, hypertension, carotid artery calcification, and heart attack.
Dr. Corroon and colleagues found no association between regular cannabis use and the prevalence or incidence of hypertension. These studies also found no associations with either the duration of regular use or recency of use. Additionally, there was no relationship when stratifying the analyses by sex, race/ethnicity, or tobacco cigarette smoking status. Similarly, the research showed no association between cannabis use and heart attacks or with the prevalence or extent of calcified plaque in the carotid arteries.
Studies presented:
- Associations Between Monthly Cannabis Use and Myocardial Infarction in Middle-Aged Adults: NHANES 2009 to 2018
- Trends in Cannabis Use, Blood Pressure, and Hypertension in Middle-Aged Adults: Findings From NHANES, 2009-2018
- Regular cannabis smoking and carotid artery calcification in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)
- Blood pressure and hypertension in older adults with a history of regular cannabis use: findings from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
- Lifetime Cannabis Use and Incident Hypertension: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study (In progress)