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Posted 09/09/2020 in Health

Cannabis and Its Impacts on High Blood Pressure


Cannabis and Its Impacts on High Blood Pressure

Explore How Cannabis Can Help Your High Blood Pressure

Are you searching for information about Cannabis and Its Impact on High Blood Pressure? As a result of many States liberalizing cannabis laws and the increasing rate of hypertension among the population, many people are now asking themselves many questions. They include; does cannabis lower your blood pressure? What are the cannabis effects on blood pressure? The answers to these questions depend on what study you read and whom you ask. 

In the U.S, Hypertension or High Blood Pressure, affects one in three adults. It can result in you getting cardiovascular disease if left unmanaged, for example, it leads to increased risk of heart attack, stroke and in extreme cases heart failure. Factors such as stress, physical inactivity, poor diet, tobacco and alcohol increase the risk of a person developing hypertension. 

Cannabis effects on blood pressure, particularly the acute ones, are well documented and understood. However, research studies on the positive or long-term adverse effects are limited and are in most cases findings from animal studies, which don’t always transfer well to humans. They are also affected by poor study design. 

Furthermore, most of these research findings are generalized, focus on THC, while avoiding consideration on other cannabinoids. Bear in mind that a cannabis-type that’s high in the psychoactive cannabinoid THC yields different results from types that are high in the mostly non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD. 

Another frustrating thing is that published studies that investigate the differences among consumption methods, for example, ingested edibles versus smoking cannabis are in fact non-existent. 

With These Factors in Mind, Below Is What We Know

Cannabis and Its Impact on High Blood Pressure: Short-Term vs. Long Term Effects Of Its Consumption

One frequent question is; does cannabis raise your blood pressure? According to various studies, users who use cannabis occasionally experience a mild-moderate dose-dependent increase in their heart rate and blood pressure, followed by a decrease in blood pressure (a modest hypontensive effect) shortly after the consumption. The peak effects start occurring 10-15 minutes after consumption, for example, elevated blood pressure or heart rate. 

After a period of a few days to weeks, users tend to develop tolerance to these first effects, while repeated use has been associated with lowered blood pressure and heart rate immediately after they consume cannabis. Case studies report that people say cannabis helps them to maintain healthy blood pressure levels, an effect that’s supported by many research studies. 

During your next cannabis-inspired intellectual talk, use this interesting "non-trivial-trivia" to impress your friends: Posture during consumption may influence your blood pressure. For example, if you're lying on your couch or sitting, immediately after use your blood pressure will increase temporarily. Your blood pressure drops a soon as you stand up. If you stand up suddenly, your pressure may drop significantly, enough to bring on light-headedness that will make you feel like you're almost about to faint. However, you shouldn’t worry, as the feeling will go off. 

On the other hand, if you're imbibing when standing, your blood pressure may decrease without initially increasing. The downside is that published data is limited regarding this effect. However,(if you've done your approximate measurements, you are free to share your comments in the section below!) 

Cannabis and Its Impact on High Blood Pressure, Heart Attack and Stroke

A (CARDIA) study analyzing data from severe adverse risk on 3,617 Caucasian and African American adults for 15 years found that there’s no long-term casual link between the risks of stroke or heart attack and cannabis consumption. 

You should keep in mind that a limited number of human cases and animal studies reports suggest there's a link between heart attack or stroke and high intoxication. However, these findings have been questioned by a 2006 report, which was published in the FORENSIC SCIENCE, MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY JOURNAL:"despite cannabis's immense popularity, reports of myocardial infarction and cannabis related stroke are so rare as to be still reportable." 

Another factor to consider is that human cases don’t take into account that in these rare events, people have consumed tobacco, alcohol, or stimulants with cannabis either shortly or contemporaneously before the accident. 

However, a study by Harvard Medical School concluded that for one hour after consuming cannabis, for example among seniors, who are at-risk populations, the chances of suffering heart attacks increases five times. The risk returns to normal rates within the next two hours. Sex also carries a similar risk. It leads to another question: does combining sex and cannabis increase one's risk of getting a heart attack? In this case, we're awaiting a follow-up study from Harvard Medical School to answer this question eagerly. 

Is There A Link Between Hypertension Treatment And Cannabis?

The body's Endocannabinoid system, which has naturally occurring chemicals that behave in a similar way to the cannabinoids found in cannabis, plays a vital role in the regulation of the body's essential physiological functions, which includes cardiovascular function. Bear in mind that this information has been there for a long time. 

A research body that’s growing shows that anandamide, which is the body's natural version of THC, enables blood vessels to relax, the result being that blood flows freely. It means that anandamide helps to you to lower blood pressure. Cannabis can assist with lowering your blood pressure especially during times of smoking cannabis & COVID-19.

The National Institute on Drug and Alcoholism published a report that concluded, "Endocannabinoids tonically suppresses cardiac contractility in hypertension". It also says that targeting the Endocannabinoid system offers you novel medical strategies in hypertension treatment." 

Researchers have long been inspired by the degree that the Endocannabinoid system plays in blood pressure regulation. It has led them to examine if the manipulation of the Endocannabinoid system could lead the treatment of hypertension. 

CANNABIS AND ITS IMPACT ON HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

However, we aren’t there yet. Remarkably, no cannabinoid-based medications have been approved officially to treat hypertension, despite the fact that cannabinoids potential as antihypertensive agents has been studied since the 1970s. Despite numerous studies and an ever-growing body of personal evidence that suggests using cannabis regularly in the long term reduces blood pressure, there are no human studies that would make physicians to confidently pronounce,” Use cannabis to treat high blood pressure!" 


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