Millions With Heart Disease Use Pot, Risking Harm

Synthetic cannabinoids -- which go by names like K2, Spice and Kronic -- are human-made chemicals similar to those found in marijuana plants. They can be much more potent than marijuana, Vaduganathan noted. Similarly, he said,Dr. Salim Virani is a cardiologist with the Michael DeBakey VA Medical Center, in Houston, and chair of the American College of Cardiology's Prevention Section and Leadership Council.

"We don't have as strong an evidence base for marijuana and heart disease as we do for cigarette smoking," Virani said."So there's a big need for research in this area. What are the risks? And what is the magnitude of the risks?" In some cases, he said, doctors may want to screen patients for marijuana use -- such as people younger than 55 who have an unexplained heart attack."As doctors," he said,"we have to be open to having a discussion about it, and be clear about what we know and what we don't know."SOURCES: Muthiah Vaduganathan, M.D., M.P.H., cardiologist, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston; Salim S. Virani, M.D., Ph.D.

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