Cannabis cardiovascular related disorders

Introduction Cannabis use has increased in the past decade, becoming the most popular recreational drug abused. THC, have various effects modulating the immune function and the inflammatory response. Multiple pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed to clarify cannabis cardiovascular-related disorders. Although the increasing therapeutic use of cannabis, its side effects remain important and has been reported to be the trigger of serious cardiovascular events up to cardiac arrest. The aim of this study is to report the impact of cannabis in order to aware the physicians about its potentially harmful health consequences. Patients and methods It is a transversal study conducted between May 2018 and June 2019 including all patients with notion of cannabis consumption admitted for acute cardiovascular events in the cardiology departments of IBN Rochd Hospital of Casablanca. The data were analyzed on Excel. Results Twelve patients were collected during this period. The mean age was 58 years old, with male predominance (80%). The main risk factors were chronic tobacco smoking (75%), hypertension (25%) and diabetes in 16.6%. 92% of the patients presented to the emergency room in the setting of acute chest pain, while 66.6% complained of dyspnea. Palpitations were reported in one case, and other presented with acute ischemia of the four limbs. After full investigations including electrocardiogram, echocardiography, coronary angiography, biological assessment and MRI, myocarditis was diagnosed in 58% of the cases, NSTEMI in 34%, and one patient with acute arteritis. Complete management of the patients included treatment of their cardiovascular affection associated with assisted smoking cessation. Conclusion Marijuana is the most popular worldwide used drug. Vasospasm, peripheral arteritis and platelet aggregation are the main mechanisms leading to the reported disorders. Therefore, awareness of the adverse outcomes of this substance by the physicians is essential.