Chronic Effects: Marijuana And Blood Pressure
Smoking marijuana carries many of the same cardiovascular health hazards as smoking tobacco. A new study, published in the American Journal of Health Behaviour, analyzed data from the 2005-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.
In total, 10,709 American adults were included in the retrospective study. Researchers defined marijuana use as never , past , and current . After adjusting for covariables such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use heavy users were reportedly twice as likely to have high blood pressure than never users. However, no significant differences in blood pressure existed between other categories. These results suggest that heavy marijuana use may contribute to the development of hypertension, while occasional use is unlikely to impact blood pressure in the long term.
How Can I Quit
Chewing tobacco is highly addictive. But just like smoking, it is possible to stop using chewing tobacco.
Many people who quit find it helpful to replace chewing tobacco with a healthier substitute, like sunflower seeds, beef jerky or chewing gum. These substitutes take the physical place of chew in the mouth and they can help keep you distracted.
Heavy users of chewing tobacco may also want to consider Nicotine Replacement Therapy to reduce their cravings and to lessen their withdrawal symptoms. NRT includes nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers and sprays that provide a cleaner dose of nicotine without the toxic and cancer-causing chemicals found in chewing tobacco.
Doctors can also prescribe medicines like Champix and Zyban to help you quit.
Smokeless Tobacco Increases Type 2 Diabetes By 70 Per Cent Study Reports
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Does Chewing Tobacco Affect Hair Follicle Test
- A study showed that as smoking tobacco may destroy hair follicles extensively, and it may increase the risk of hair loss. Tobacco products can also cause poor blood circulation, which leads to hair loss. It is also associated with premature biological aging, which triggers balding in individuals genetically predisposed to hair loss.
What To Know About Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance in your blood thats produced naturally by your liver.
Cholesterol plays a role in cell creation, hormone production, and food digestion. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. However, cholesterol is also found in some foods, and many people get more cholesterol than they need from their diet.
A high-fat diet can increase your risk for high cholesterol, but other factors play a part in your cholesterol levels as well, including your genes and whether you smoke.
There are two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein .
LDL, also called the bad cholesterol, can create a fatty buildup of a substance called plaque on the inside of your arteries. This can narrow your arteries and increase your risk for:
According to the National Institutes of Health , a healthy level of LDL cholesterol for people of any age is a reading below 100 milligrams per deciliter .
HDL, known as the healthy cholesterol, can remove LDL and transport it to the liver where its flushed out of your body.
Unlike LDL cholesterol, you want your HDL to be a higher number. A healthy level of HDL is above 40 mg/dL for men and above 50 mg/dL for women.
Ideally, your total combined cholesterol should be below 200 mg/dL.
- make blood thicker and stickier, and more likely to clot
- damage the cells that line blood vessels and arteries
- cause thickening and narrowing of blood vessels
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What The Risks Mean
Because marijuana can increase blood pressure and heart rate, it is important to be careful especially if you have high blood pressure already. Although the link between marijuana and cardiovascular complications is unclear, cardiovascular problems like stroke can be devastating. It is important to consult your doctor about marijuana use if you have high blood pressure or other cardiovascular disease risk factors.
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Weed And Blood Pressure Medication
You might also be wondering, what if youre smoking weed while taking blood pressure medication? Will there be an adverse reaction? If you are smoking THC-rich cannabis and taking medication for high blood pressure, the answer is that there could be.
Goldstein explained, Smoking cannabis can be harmful for those with heart disease or hypertension since the smoke contains carbon monoxide. This gas binds to the hemoglobin in red blood cells, displacing oxygen off of the red blood cells which results in less oxygen going to the bodys tissues, including the heart. People with heart disease or high blood pressure should avoid smoking.
Instead, Goldstein recommends other methods of cannabis use, such as sublingual tinctures or edibles, which she says are safe to use if someone is on blood pressure medication. Further, Bone stressed that people who use cannabis and are on blood pressure medications need to be mindful of the possibility of an interaction with other prescription medications. This means monitoring blood pressure and reporting any dizziness to your doctor, who can adjust your dosages accordingly.
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Smokeless Tobacco: Tips On How To Stop
Smoking is a harmful habit. Smokeless tobacco products are just as bad. Rather than being inhaled, smokeless tobacco is consumed orally. Chewing tobacco and snuff are the two main forms.
Newer forms of smokeless tobacco include:
- Snus, which is similar to snuff but does not require spitting.
- Tobacco lozenges.
Does Alcohol And Tobacco Use Increase The Risk Of Diabetes
Yes, alcohol and tobacco use may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Alcohol Although studies show that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may actually lower the risk of diabetes, the opposite is true for people who drink greater amounts of alcohol. Moderate alcohol use is defined as one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. Too much alcohol may cause chronic inflammation of the pancreas , which can impair its ability to secrete insulin and potentially lead to diabetes. Tobacco Tobacco use can increase blood sugar levels and lead to insulin resistance. The more you smoke, the greater your risk of diabetes. People who smoke heavily more than 20 cigarettes a day have almost double the risk of developing diabetes compared with people who dont smoke.Continue reading > >
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Smokeless Tobacco May Raise Heart Rate
Blood Pressure, Adrenalin Also Increase
March 15, 2005 Smokeless tobacco boosts heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenalin.
The results have potential implications for heart risk, the study notes. The study was small and short, so its not the final word on smokeless tobacco. But the findings indicate cigarettes may not be the only tobacco product that affects the heart.
Smokeless tobacco, also called snuff or spit tobacco, is used by more than 5 million adults and more than 750,000 adolescents, say researchers. With more young men especially athletes using smokeless tobacco, the researchers were curious about its impact.
Experts have already tied smokeless tobacco to oral cancer and dental problems such as receding gums, bone loss, and bad breath. In 1986, the U.S. Surgeon General concluded that smokeless tobacco isnt a safe alternative for cigarettes or cigars, according to the American Cancer Society . Smokeless tobacco may also lead to nicotine addiction, says the ACS.
Not as much is known about how smokeless tobacco affects the heart. But doctors do know that cigarettes are a heart hazard. Quitting smoking is widely regarded as one of the best things a smoker can do for his heart.
Chewing Tobacco History Facts And Side Effects
In the past several years, the war on smoking has been intensifying ever so slightly. Numerous health organizations are joining in holding rallies, quit campaigns, producing anti-smoking commercials, and so on. We still have a long way to go, but, at least, we seem to be on the right path.
However, while the use of combustible cigarettes seems to be going down, a much more sinister practice is on the rise. Chewing tobacco has been making a comeback in recent years, in part thanks to it being promoted as a safer alternative to smoking. Ive even seen it compared to electronic cigarettes, just because they dont produce smoke.
This is an extremely dangerous practice since most medical experts agree that chewing tobacco is at least as addictive as smoking. It contains at least 28 known carcinogens and causes short and long-term health problems. On the other hand, recent vape-related studies are mostly cautiously positive, with researchers finding it difficult to link vaping to major health conditions.
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Moms’ Use Of ‘snus’ Tobacco Linked To Higher Blood Pressure In Kids
Please note: This article was published more than two years ago, so some information may be outdated. If you have questions about your health, always contact a health care professional.
Children whose mothers used snus a type of powdered, smokeless tobacco popular in Sweden during pregnancy had higher blood pressure by age 6 than children whose mothers did not use it, new research says.
Snus is placed between the gums and upper lip, but unlike American chewing tobacco, it does not involve spitting. The European Union banned its sale in 1992 after a World Health Organization study concluded it caused cancer. It is available in the U.S., where the Food and Drug Administration is reviewing it.
Previous studies have linked smoking during pregnancy to preterm birth, low birth weight and stillbirth. Studies also have found children exposed to smoking while in utero have higher blood pressure.
But those studies could not separate the effect of nicotine from the effect of other smoking-related byproducts. They also could not control for the secondhand smoke many children of tobacco smokers are exposed to.
The new study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, isolated nicotine’s effects by studying women who used only Swedish snus.
Researchers compared blood pressure and heart rate in 21 children ages 5 to 6 whose mothers used snus during pregnancy with 19 children whose mothers used no tobacco products.
Chewing Tobacco May Stress Heart Blood Vessels
Chewing tobacco may be smokeless, but it could be far from harmless to the heart and blood vessels, a small study suggests.
Chewing tobacco is a known risk factor for oral cancers, but in contrast to the case with Smoking, the cardiovascular effects of the habit have been unclear. The new study, of 16 healthy, young tobacco users, suggests that smokeless tobacco has immediate effects on blood pressure, heart rate and adrenaline release that, over time, could spell trouble for the cardiovascular system.
Researchers found that a round of tobacco dipping not only bumped up the young mens blood pressure, but also dampened the bodys normal stabilizing response to blood pressure spikes.
We dont know yet if it will have long-term consequences, said lead researcher Dr. Robert Wolk of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
However, he told Reuters Health, its possible that over time, chewing tobacco could lead to chronic high blood pressure or other ill effects on the heart and blood vessels.
Finding out whether this is the case will be important, Wolk said, as the dipping habit is on the rise among young males, particularly athletes.
For their study, Wolk and his colleagues looked at various measures of cardiovascular and nervous system activity among 16 young men before and after the volunteers used chewing tobacco.
The body wants to decrease your blood pressure, Wolk said.
The findings are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Overall Cannabis Is A Promising Option For Hypertension Treatment
Apart from the Harvard study, most studies show that though unmanaged hypertension can result in cardiovascular issues such as heart failure, heart attacks and strokes, cannabis does not seem to increase such risks. The Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology Journal published a report in 2006 stating,
Despite the drugs extreme popularity, reports of cannabis-related stroke and myocardial infarction are so rare as to still be reportable.
In fact, repeat use of cannabis spanning days to weeks and even developing a tolerance has been linked to lowered blood pressure for many patients. NIH backed up their findings when they concluded in 2008 that,
Pharmacological manipulation of the endocannabinoid system may offer novel therapeutic approaches in hypertension and ischemic heart disease.
Its important to note that the majority of studies on marijuana use and hypertension have focused on THC rather than CBD. For some, THC worsens episodes of anxiety and increases heart rate which may have some peripheral effects on blood pressure levels. CBD however, appears to reduce systolic blood pressure in subjects both at rest and while stressed.
At the end of the day, a low-sodium diet, an active lifestyle and stress management and responsible cannabis use might be the keys to keeping blood pressure under control.
Weed, Delivered.
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What Will Happen When I Stop Smoking
How you feel when you stop depends on how much you smoked, how addicted your body is to nicotine and how well you get ready to stop. You may crave a cigarette, and you may be hungrier than usual. You may feel edgy and have trouble concentrating. You also may cough more at first, and you may have headaches. These things happen because your body is used to nicotine. The symptoms are strongest during the first few days after quitting, but most symptoms go away in a few weeks.
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Casual Blood Pressure Measurement
Blood pressure was determined, in the morning at 8:00 to 8:30 AM the day after the ambulatory monitoring was completed, by a standard mercury manometer with the cuff size adjusted to the circumference of the arm. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was defined by the Korotkoff sounds phase I and V to the nearest 2 mm Hg after 5 min rest in a supine position, as the mean of two separate measurements. Heart rate was registered by palpation.
Smokeless Tobacco Use In The United States
Percentage of Adults Who Were Current Smokeless Tobacco Users in 2009
- 3.5% of all adults
Percentage of High School Students who were Current Smokeless Tobacco Users in 2009
- 6.1% of all high school students
- 11.0% of males
Percentage of Middle School Students who were Current Smokeless Tobacco Users in 2009
- 2.6% of all middle school students
- 4.1% of males
- 2.8% of Whites
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How Can I Prevent High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure known as the silent killer often shows no signs or symptoms. In fact, nearly 20 percent of U.S. adults with high blood pressure do not know they have the disease.
The cause of most cases of high blood pressure is unknown. But there are factors that can place you at greater risk of developing the condition. Thats why it is important to know what your risks are and to learn which factors you can and cannot control.
The good news is that the small steps you take to be healthy now can lead to big improvements down the road.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
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Related Resources Our campaign partner, American Heart Association®, has a freehigh blood pressure health risk calculator to help you find out your risk. |
Risk Factors You Cant Control
- Age
As you age, your risk of high blood pressure increases. Up to the age of 45, high blood pressure affects more men than women. But, at age 65 and beyond, it affects more women than men. Women are more likely to develop high blood pressure after menopause.
- Race
High blood pressure can affect anyone. But, it is more common and more severe in African American adults than in Caucasian or Hispanic American adults. Serious complications, such as stroke and heart attack, are also more common in African Americans.
- Family History
What Are The Possible Outcomes Of Snus Consumption
The outcomes studied include general health status, clinical risk factors for cardiovascular disease, development of atherosclerosis, hypertension, the risk of myocardial infarction and mortality from cardiovascular disease. Important research results on Swedish snus:
How does smokeless tobacco affect blood pressure?
Smokeless tobacco caused a clinically significant acute elevation of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, or pulse in 5 of 6 experimental trials. Smokeless tobacco was weakly associated with chronic hypertension in 4 of 6 cross-sectional studies.
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Resources For Smoking Cessation
Quitting tobacco may not be easy. Smoking is an addiction on two fronts: Nicotine causes a chemical addiction, and smoking cigarettes is a behavior addiction.
But you can overcome both of these. Indeed, quitting smoking is key to managing your risk for high cholesterol, heart disease, and many other health issues. So even if it takes a few tries, its important to keep trying. You have a lot to gain from being tobacco-free.
If youre new to the challenge of smoking cessation, or if you need new resources, consider these options:
- Medications. Prescription medications like varenicline and bupropion alter the chemicals in your brain to ease cravings and reduce symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
- Smoking cessation aids. Skin patches, gums, lozenges, and nasal sprays can all deliver nicotine without the toxic tars and gases found in cigarette smoke. These can be used to help ease withdrawal symptoms as you reduce dependency.
You dont have to quit smoking by yourself. In fact, forming a support team can be a strategic way to increase your chances of successfully quitting. You may want to consider partnering with a: