Latest news with #stroke
CTV News
6 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
Cannabis use increases risk of heart attack or stroke: study
Watch Dr. Marla Shapiro on the recent study that suggests cannabis use can increase risk of heart attack or stroke.
Medscape
a day ago
- Health
- Medscape
Early Talk Therapy After Stroke Tied to Better Psych Outcome
Psychological therapy was associated with significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety among patients with a history of stroke, with greater benefits in those who initiated talk therapy within 6 months of the stroke compared to those who began treatment later, new research showed. METHODOLOGY: Researchers analyzed data from more than 7000 adults with a hospital diagnosis of stroke. All had undergone at least two sessions of poststroke psychological treatment through the National Health Service Talking Therapies program for anxiety and depression in England between 2012 and 2019. Primary outcomes included 'reliable improvement,' defined as a 6-point or greater reduction on the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) or a 4-point or greater reduction on the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7); 'reliable recovery,' which included improvement along with scores below 10 on the PHQ-9 and scores below 8 on the GAD-7; and 'reliable deterioration,' defined as at least a 6-point increase on PHQ-9 or at least a 4-point increase on GAD-7. Secondary outcomes included pre- to posttreatment score changes on the PHQ-9 and GAD-7. TAKEAWAY: After undergoing talk therapy, 71% of patients with a history of stroke and baseline depression or anxiety symptoms had reliable improvement in psychiatric symptoms, and 49% had reliable recovery, while only 7% had reliable deterioration. After treatment, mean PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores decreased by 6.5 and 5.5 points, respectively, indicating moderate reductions in depression symptoms and large reductions in anxiety symptoms. Analysis adjusted for demographics and other covariates showed that patients who initiated psychological services 12 months or more after stroke had 20% lower odds of reliable recovery compared to those who initiated treatment within 6 months of stroke. Compared with a matched sample of individuals who never had a stroke, those with a history of stroke were less likely to reliably recover (odds ratio [OR], 0.9; P < .001) and more likely to reliably deteriorate (OR, 1.2; P = .04), but these differences disappeared after adjusting for physical comorbidities. IN PRACTICE: The study 'strongly supports the effectiveness of primary care psychological therapy as a first-line treatment for common mental health disorders after a stroke,' the researchers wrote. 'It is essential for general practitioners and other clinicians working with stroke survivors to screen for depression and anxiety symptoms and refer patients for psychological therapy as early as possible,' the lead investigator said in a press release. SOURCE: The study, led by Jae Won Suh, University College London, London, England, was published online on June 5 in Nature Mental Health . LIMITATIONS: The sample may not have represented all survivors of stroke, especially those with severe impairments or those from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. The study also lacked detailed data on stroke severity, cognitive or sensory deficits, and prestroke mental health status, as well as information on whether depression or anxiety began before or after the stroke. Information on lifestyle factors and the burden of comorbidities was also limited. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by the Alzheimer's Society. Some investigators reported having unrelated consulting roles and funding from various organizations. Full details are provided in the original article.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
North Texas teen survives stroke days before prom thanks to rapid medical care, inspiring future nurse
For many high school seniors, prom is something they look forward to all year. One Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District teen said she had her dress picked out and all the plans in place, but almost didn't make it because of a major medical scare. Just weeks away from prom and graduation, 18-year-old Katie Rangel started feeling off. "It was just my right leg weakness," she said. "It started getting numb and I just couldn't balance myself." She brushed it off as just being tired, but her boyfriend felt something was wrong. "He was just saying, 'Should I call 911?'" she said. "I just remember going into the ambulance and then I think I just kind of blacked out." In the ambulance, Katie Rangel had a seizure. Then, at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Grapevine, doctors determined she was having a stroke. Her parents met her at the hospital. "It was really, really, scary," Gilbert Rangel said. "Emotional. I didn't know what was going on at the time, but what was going through my mind, 'My normal child... will she be normal again?'" "Luckily, she came to the ER because if she didn't come to us, she'd probably be disabled right now," Interventional Radiologist Dr. Abdul R. Quadeer said. Quadeer said a case like this in an 18-year-old is incredibly rare, and it turned out Katie Rangel had a hole in her heart. A blood clot traveled from her leg, through the small hole in her heart, and to the left side of her brain, shown in a brain scan. We got our device through the blockage," Quadeer said. "Luckily, the clot came right out. Within less than 10 minutes, this is a picture of what a normal brain looks like. It's actually her brain immediately after we got the clot out." Just two weeks later, Katie Rangel was able to attend Trinity High School's senior prom, fully recovered. "I was on the dance floor almost the whole night and it was really fun," she said. This week, she got to thank the medical team who made that moment possible and said if it wasn't for them, she knows her life would look a lot different today. "I could have lost more tissue in my brain," she said. "I was thankful because I can speak better. I can walk and balance." Now, with a high school diploma in hand, Katie Rangel is setting her sights on becoming a nurse, inspired by those who cared for her. "Just because everyone was so nice," she said. "I feel like I would be great at this job." Using Katie Rangel's story as an example, doctors at Baylor Scott & White Grapevine said it's important to know the signs of a stroke, which include facial asymmetry, problems moving arms or legs and speech disruptions. They said if you think you're having a stroke, the best thing you can do is get to the ER.
Health Line
2 days ago
- Health
- Health Line
Cannabis Use May Double Risk of Death From Cardiovascular Disease, Study Finds
A new scientific analysis indicates that cannabis use may increase the risk of cardiovascular health issues, including stroke. In an accompanying editorial, two health experts say these risks are serious enough to warrant the regulation of cannabis in the same manner as tobacco. Previous research has reported on the health benefits of cannabis for people with chronic pain and other ailments, but experts say the potential effects of cannabis should be discussed with your doctor. Medical experts are sending out another strong warning about cannabis use and the risk of cardiovascular health issues. In an analysis published in the journal Heart, researchers report heightened risks of stroke, acute coronary syndrome, and death from cardiovascular disease associated with frequent cannabis use. In an accompanying editorial, two health experts say the dangers from cannabis use are serious enough to warrant the substance being regulated much like tobacco. The editorial authors say the warnings are particularly important because the recent widespread legalization of the drug may have convinced many people that cannabis use is safe. 'Frequent cannabis use has increased in several countries, and many users believe that it is a safe and natural way to relieve pain or stress. In contrast, a growing body of evidence links cannabis use to significant harms throughout life, including cardiovascular health of adults,' wrote Stanton Glantz, PhD, an emeritus professor at the University of California San Francisco, and Lynn Silver, MD, a professor in UCSF's Department of Epidemiology and a program director at the Public Health Institute in Oakland, CA. 'Specifically, cannabis should be treated like tobacco: not criminalized but discouraged, with protection of bystanders from secondhand exposure,' the editorial authors added. Robert Page II, PharmD, a professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and the Department of Physical Medicine/Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, noted the analysis relied on observational studies, but said the message is clear. 'This meta-analysis validates current large observation studies that cannabis should be considered a potential risk factor for premature development of ASCVD (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease), said Page, who was chair of an American Heart Association writing group that authored a 2020 report on cannabis, medical cannabis, and heart health. Page wasn't involved in the present study. 'If we ignore these signals, we are destined to repeat the fatal history of cigarette smoking, which took years to finally realize its devastating effects on cardiovascular health and mortality,' he told Healthline. Cannabis and heart health In their analysis, researchers looked at 24 studies published between January 2016 and January 2023 that included about 200 million people. The study participants were mostly between the ages of 19 and 59. Cannabis use tended to be more frequent in males and in younger people. The researchers said their analysis of that data revealed that cannabis use doubled the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. They also reported that people who used cannabis had a 29% higher risk of acute coronary syndrome, a condition that causes sudden reduced or blocked blood flow to the heart, as well as a 20% higher risk of stroke. The researchers acknowledged that many of the studies they analyzed lacked information on missing data and had imprecise measures of cannabis exposure. Most of the studies were also observational. Nonetheless, their analysis comes less than a month after another study concluded that chronic use of cannabis is associated with a higher risk of endothelial dysfunction, a type of non-obstructive coronary artery disease in which there are no heart artery blockages but the large blood vessels on the heart's surface constrict instead of dilating. In addition, another analysis from earlier this year reported that cannabis users were six times more likely to have a heart attack than non-users. A 2024 study concluded that people who use cannabis to treat chronic pain had a higher risk of atrial fibrillation and other forms of heart arrhythmia. The researchers in the new analysis say their findings are particularly important because the use of cannabis has soared in recent years. They also note that the potency of the drug has increased. There was no delineation in the analysis, however, on the risks of smoking cannabis compared to ingesting it. Cheng-Han Chen, MD, an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in California, said both methods may present health risks. Chen wasn't involved in the study. 'It is thought that ingesting THC increases systolic absorption of the chemical when compared to smoking THC and thus results in greater adverse effects,' he told Healthline. 'However, cannabis smoke comes with a separate set of health concerns, as the smoke contains many carcinogens and mutagens similar to tobacco smoke.' Ziva Cooper, the director of the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, said the frequency someone uses cannabis, as well as the dosage, are also important factors. Cooper was likewise not involved in the study. She noted that new research is starting to show there are mental health risks to frequent cannabis use. One of those is cannabis use disorder, a condition that is estimated to affect 30% of people who use the substance. 'There are new risks that are emerging that weren't even on the radar,' Cooper told Healthline. She added cannabis can also impair people's ability to drive as well as impair their cognitive abilities. 'These are things that can affect a person's everyday life,' Cooper said. Defending cannabis use Paul Armentano, the deputy director of NORML, a non-profit that advocates for the responsible use of cannabis, acknowledges there are studies that report health risks associated with cannabis use. Armentano wasn't involved in the study. However, he told Healthline there are others who conclude there is no risk or even a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease from cannabis use. These include a 2023 study, a 2020 study, and a 2023 meta-analysis. 'In short, while tobacco smoke exposure's role in cardiovascular disease is well established, the potential role of cannabis smoke is not,' Armentano said. 'Nonetheless, persons wishing to mitigate their intake of cannabis smoke can do so via the use of herbal vaporizers, which heat cannabinoids to the point of activation but below the point of combustion.' Armentano cited studies in 2006 and 2007 that reported no health effects from vaporization. Some research has reported on some overall health benefits derived from cannabis use. A 2023 study concluded that medical cannabis can improve the quality of life for some people with chronic pain. Other research has reported that cannabis can be helpful to people with depression, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are also indications that cannabis products can help ease the side effects of cancer treatments. Talking with your doctor about cannabis In their editorial, Glantz and Silver encourage medical professionals to become leaders in cannabis education. 'There is an important role for public health and public policy in addressing the risks identified [in the new analysis],' they wrote. 'While the trend toward legalization is established, that does not mean that the risks of cannabis use should be minimized or its use encouraged.' Page said he takes cannabis use into consideration when assessing his patients' cardiovascular health. 'While many of the current cardiovascular risk calculators do not include smoking cannabis into their algorithms, I do include it (just like smoking cigarettes) when assessing patients' cardiovascular risk and consider it just as powerful a risk factor as smoking cigarettes,' he said. Page added that people should be informed about the many potential health issues of cannabis use before deciding whether to use it. 'Know the risks and talk to your primary care provider before considering any use, medical or recreational. Many younger adults feel invincible and have the belief that 'This will not happen to me' or 'I could never develop cannabis use disorder.' However, it does and can occur,' he said. 'For older adults, I caution them regarding potential drug-drug interactions as both THC [tetrahydrocannabinol] and CBD [cannabidiol] can have effects on a large majority of medications, both pharmacokinetically and pharmacodynamically,' Page added. Chen agrees that patients need to educate themselves about cannabis before trying it. 'Any form of cannabis use does involve some risk to your health. Everyone must decide for themselves how much risk they want to expose themselves to,' said Chen. 'I would advise people to avoid smoking cannabis, as the smoke can directly harm the lungs. Also, patients with known pre-existing cardiovascular disease or with cardiovascular risk factors should consider avoiding cannabis use in general, given the potential harm to heart health,' he added. Cooper noted that cannabis has 500 different chemical components, so its effects can vary greatly from person to person.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Cannabis use could double risk of heart deaths, study suggests
Cannabis use may double the risk of dying from heart disease and increase the risk of stroke by 20%, according to a global review of data. The number of people using cannabis and cannabinoids has soared over the past decade. While previous studies have linked cannabis use to cardiovascular problems, the scale of the risk has until now not been clear. This is an important gap in light of major changes in consumption, researchers at the University of Toulouse in France said. Related: Sadiq Khan calls for partial decriminalisation of cannabis possession To strengthen the evidence base, they searched databases looking for large observational studies, published between 2016 and 2023, which explored cannabis use and cardiovascular outcomes. Twenty-four studies, involving about 200 million people, were included in a pooled data analysis of the results: 17 cross-sectional studies, six cohort studies, and one case-control study. Study participants were mostly aged between 19 and 59. And in those studies where sex was recorded, cannabis users tended to be mostly male and younger than non-users. The analysis revealed heightened risks for cannabis use: 29% higher for acute coronary syndrome; 20% higher for stroke; and a doubling in the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The findings were published in the journal Heart. The researchers acknowledged several limitations to their systematic review and meta analysis. There was a moderate to high risk of bias in most of the included studies, largely because of lack of information on missing data and imprecise measures of cannabis exposure. Most of them were observational and several used the same data. Related: Tracking low-level cannabis use wastes police time, former London chief says With these caveats, the researchers said their work was an exhaustive analysis of published data on the potential association between cannabis use and major cardiovascular disease and provided new insights from real-world data. 'The findings outlined by this meta analysis should enhance the general awareness of the potential of cannabis to cause cardiovascular harm.' In a linked editorial, Prof Stanton Glantz and Dr Lynn Silver of the University of California at San Francisco said the analysis 'raises serious questions about the assumption that cannabis imposes little cardiovascular risk'. More research is needed to clarify whether cardiovascular risks are limited to inhaled products or extend to other forms of cannabis exposure, they said. Cannabis is now generally more potent and has diversified into a wide array of inhaled high potency cannabis concentrates, synthetic psychoactive cannabinoids, and edibles, they added. They wrote: 'How these changes affect cardiovascular risk requires clarification, as does the proportion of risk attributable to cannabinoids themselves versus particulate matter, terpenes or other components of the exposure. 'Cannabis needs to be incorporated into the framework for prevention of clinical cardiovascular disease. So too must cardiovascular disease prevention be incorporated into the regulation of cannabis markets. Effective product warnings and education on risks must be developed, required, and implemented. 'Cardiovascular and other health risks must be considered in the regulation of allowable product and marketing design as the evidence base grows. Today that regulation is focused on establishing the legal market with woeful neglect of minimising health risks. 'Specifically, cannabis should be treated like tobacco: not criminalised, but discouraged, with protection of bystanders from secondhand exposure.'
