LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) – An area physician on the Coronary heart and Vascular Heart in Lawton is worried concerning the impacts medical marijuana is having on folks’s hearts.
“I need to actually, kinda urge the general public and the individuals who assume they’re utilizing it for medicinal functions to re-think this course of,” Dr. Bassam Saliba, a heart specialist on the Coronary heart and Vascular Heart, stated. “Discuss with their physicians and completely it if solely different remedy has failed.”
Dr. Saliba stated since state query 788 handed – which legalized medical marijuana – they’ve seen a rise in coronary heart assaults and cardiovascular deaths at CCMH.
“Each time we’re on name, we appear to be seeing increasingly coronary heart assault sufferers,” he stated. “However now increasingly knowledge is rolling in, and the incidence of heart problems, mortality in heart problems, mortality from what we name easy arrhythmia shouldn’t be solely doubling, however it’s quadrupling in sufferers who’re utilizing hashish.”
Dr. Saliba stated it’s not unusual for them to see somebody 50 having coronary heart issues, however he’s seeing folks youthful having issues too.
“Simply final time I used to be on name, a 32-year-old got here in with ST-Elevation Coronary heart Assault,” he stated. “He has some 20, 30% blockages and was marijuana. A type of blockages cut up open, fashioned a blood clot, and now he has ST-Elevation Coronary heart Assault.”
He says 788 was offered prefer it was going to be for individuals who actually, actually wanted it, however that’s not the way it appears now. Dr. Saliba stated teams just like the American Coronary heart Affiliation and American Medical Affiliation have stated medical marijuana isn’t at all times helpful and may truly be dangerous.
“Folks want to know this can be a drug,” Dr. Saliba stated. “This isn’t a drugs. It is a drug, and this drug shouldn’t be benign.”
He stated a research printed within the American Journal of Cardiology says there’s a 43% elevated threat of coronary heart assaults in younger adults. Dr. Saliba stated one other research he learn checked out 2.4 million marijuana customers. They discovered the typical age of marijuana customers is now 50.
“Sufferers who even used to come back for AFITB, PAC’s, palpitations, PVC’s if they arrive to the hospital, there may be 4 occasions elevated threat of mortality,” he stated.
Whereas there are advantages for some, he asks folks to watch out and to solely use it if their doctor, who they see repeatedly, prescribes it.
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