Inhaled cannabis reduces number of daily ectopic heart beats

 Since I'm sure your doctor never prescribed marijuana post stroke you'll never hear of this.

My 13 reasons for marijuana use post-stroke.  June 2014

Here's What Medical Marijuana Can Do for Older Patients  May 2026

Don't follow me, I'm not medically trained, and I don't have a Dr. in front of my name. 

An ectopic heartbeat is an extra or early heartbeat that interrupts your normal heart rhythm. It can make your heart feel like it skipped a beat, paused, or gave a strong thump. Most extra beats are harmless, very common, and do not mean you have a serious heart disease. 

Inhaled cannabis reduces number of daily ectopic heart beats

Key takeaways:

• Lower rates of ectopic heart beats on days in which habitual users inhaled cannabis vs. days of nonuse.
• Cannabis use in this cohort had no impact on daily steps, sleep duration or blood glucose.

Inhaled cannabis use was associated with acute reductions in ectopic heart beats vs. nonuse, mainly driven by reductions in premature atrial contractions, researchers reported.

The present study among habitual cannabis users identified certain acute effects of the drug on cardiac function, but no impact on daily steps count, sleep duration and glucose changes on days of use vs. nonuse was observed, according to data published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

“Recreational cannabis is now legal in more than half the U.S. and is becoming more commonly used, but we know very little about the true health effects of the drug. At the same time, there is a growing interest in identifying modifiable risk factors that may influence risks of common heart rhythm disturbances. Prior work related to cannabis and arrhythmias has generally suggested harm, but has been conflicting,” Gregory M. Marcus, MD, MAS, cardiologist and Endowed Professor of Atrial Fibrillation Research in the division of cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco, told Healio.

The MARY-JANE trial was a prospective, randomized study conducted at the University of California, San Francisco. Researchers enrolled 108 habitual cannabis users who reported inhaled cannabis use at least once in the past month and 4 or more days within a week at least once in the past year. Participants had to be willing to abstain from cannabis use for at least 2 consecutive days over the 14-day trial period, according to the study methods.

Participants received a continuously recording ECG patch (Zio XT Patch, iRhythm), a Bluetooth-enabled, wrist-worn accelerometer and sleep monitoring device (Fitbit INSPIRE devices, Fitbit) and a Bluetooth-enabled continuous glucose monitor device (Dexcom G7, Dexcom).

Participants were randomly assigned via daily text message to either use or abstain from inhaled cannabis.

The primary outcome was daily cardiac ectopy, defined as total daily premature atrial and ventricular contractions. Mean daily steps, sleep duration per night and daily glucose changes were also evaluated, according to the study methods.

The researchers reported that although the mean age of study participants was 32 years, individuals representing each decade of life from age 21 into their 70s participated (59% women; 37% white).

Adherence to daily randomization was reported to be a challenge in the present study. However, the researchers wrote “it should not explain false positive results with regard to our prespecified primary endpoint or assessments of autonomic tone”

Inhaled cannabis was associated with a 9% reduction in ectopic beats (rate ratio [RR] = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85-0.98; P = .02); a 10% reduction in daily premature atrial contractions (RR = 0.9; 95% CI, 0.82-0.97; P = .012); and no change in premature ventricular contractions (P = .83) compared with nonuse, according to the study.

Researchers reported that each inhalation of cannabis was associated with an approximately 2% reduction in ectopic beats (RR = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-0.99; P = .043).

“Contrary to our hypothesis, we failed to show that random assignment to use inhaled cannabis increased common cardiac ectopy. Of note, increasing frequencies of premature atrial contractions are an important predictor of atrial fibrillation, and those with more premature ventricular contraction frequencies have a higher risk for heart failure. In fact, we found a small decrease in cardiac ectopy, driven mainly by less premature atrial contractions, on days when participants were randomly assigned to smoke or vape cannabis,” Marcus told Healio. “At the same time and after excluding those ectopic beats from the continuous ECG data, we did see evidence of increased punctuated sympathetic activity on days randomized to cannabis, consistent with an increase in THC exposure on those days. Other methods to assess compliance suggested that participants generally followed their randomization assignment most of the time.”

Mean daily steps, sleep duration per night and daily glucose changes were not significantly different between inhaled cannabis use and nonuse, according to the study.

“This single study should not be considered sufficient to change clinical practice or recommendations, but should justify opening up future investigations and lines of inquiry as to how cannabis might actually have antiarrhythmic properties. It also challenges the notion that all inhaled smoke is the same, particularly given quite clear evidence that inhaled tobacco smoke has been consistently associated with more cardiac ectopy,” Marcus told Healio.

For more information:

Gregory M. Marcus, MD, MAS, can be reached at greg.marcus@ucsf.edu or X @gregorymmarcus.