Marijuana is risky for people taking common heart medications (Jan. 20, 2020) By Kaitlin Sullivan - NBC News

[Patient4Life]

Marijuana is risky for people taking common heart medications (Jan 20, 2020) By Kaitlin Sullivan - NBC News

More than 2 million Americans with heart conditions report that they have used marijuana, but many questions remain about the drug’s effects on the heart, according to a review published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

What is known, however, is that the drug can interact with common heart medications, including statins and blood thinners, potentially putting patients at risk, the review said.

Using marijuana while on a statin or a blood thinner can change how these drugs work in the body, said lead author Dr. Muthiah Vaduganathan, a cardiologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

That’s because the same liver enzymes that break down statins or blood thinners also break down the compounds in marijuana, he said. Using them simultaneously with marijuana can change the effectiveness or the potency of the medications.

Smoke, vape, or eat?

How users ingest marijuana also plays a role in how risky the drug may be for people with heart problems.

The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which surveys people’s health activities, found that nearly 80 percent of adult marijuana users reported smoking the drug.

 

[ScottTriGuy]

"...can interact with common heart medications, including statins and blood thinners..."

Good reason to avoid statins and blood thinners, and not vice versa.