Cannabis use during pregnancy linked to cardiovascular disease

A recent Kaiser Permanente study suggests -

a higher risk of later hypertension and coronary heart disease for moms.

Pregnant people who used cannabis before or during early pregnancy had a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and coronary heart disease in later years, according to an analysis of nearly 350,000 Kaiser Permanente Northern California pregnancies.

The study, published in JACC:

Advances, is consistent with other research suggesting a link between cannabis use and cardiovascular health risks.

Kelly Young Wolff, PhD, MPH

“This study cannot prove that cannabis caused these outcomes, but the association remained after we accounted for important cardiovascular risk factors, including nicotine and alcohol use,” said lead author Kelly Young-Wolff, PhD, MPH, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research (DOR).

The researchers were able to examine this question because Kaiser Permanente Northern California routinely screens patients for cannabis use as part of prenatal care.

The study used screening data collected from 2011 through 2023 and followed patients’ cardiovascular outcomes through 2023, for up to 13 years after pregnancy. Overall, 12% of patients reported cannabis use before pregnancy, and 7% reported cannabis use during early pregnancy (considered the first 8 to 10 weeks).

Compared with patients who did not use cannabis, those who used cannabis before or during early pregnancy had a 35% higher risk of developing hypertension and a 47% higher risk of coronary heart disease in the years after pregnancy. Coronary heart disease includes heart attack, angina (a type of chest pain), and coronary artery disease.

The researchers did not find an increased risk of arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat), stroke, or blood clots among patients who used cannabis before or during early pregnancy.

The analysis accounted for other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including self-reported nicotine use, documented tobacco smoking, and nicotine replacement therapy prescriptions. Overall, close to 9% of patients in the study used nicotine. Among the patients who used cannabis, 27% also used nicotine. The increased risk of hypertension and coronary heart disease was seen in both pregnant patients who did or did not use nicotine.

The findings offer information physicians can use when counseling pregnant patients, said co-author Jamal S. Rana, MD, a cardiologist at the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center and DOR adjunct investigator.

“There’s not enough awareness about cannabis posing health risks in pregnancy, and this study adds a new dimension to our prevention efforts,” Dr. Rana said.

Other research has suggested that THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, can cause inflammation of the endothelial lining of heart arteries, Dr. Rana said.

Young-Wolff said the topic warrants further research.

“The large cohort and universal prenatal screening give us unusually strong data,” she said. “But we still need studies that can look at mode of use, frequency, product potency, and changes in cannabis use over time.”

More Kaiser Permanente Northern California research about pregnancy and cannabis use

Teddy bears can make health care warm and fuzzy

copy from https://mykp.kp.org/en/news/ncal/teddy-bears-can-make-health-care-warm-and-fuzzy.html

for learning purpose

Kavin Desai, MD, monitors the heart of a teddy bear “patient” at the Oakland event.

Building trust in the community

At the clinic, children move from table to table with their toys. Each “patient” goes through a different part of a checkup, just like a real doctor’s visit.

At one station, a toy might have its heartbeat listened to. At another, it might get a pretend shot or a bandage. Some toys even need “surgery,” where volunteers stitch up small tears.

Instead of using complicated medical terms, the clinic uses simple, fun language to help kids understand what is happening. Children can “treat” their toys while learning simple health habits, such as drinking water, staying active, and eating healthy foods.

“It was all designed at the level that kids could understand,” said Dr. Moore.

Kaiser Permanente teams in Oakland were inspired by the Hayward Teddy Bear Clinic. The Oakland clinic will be part of the “Bless the Block” community event, which brings health screenings, school supplies, and other free resources and services to hundreds of families.

Nailah Thompson, DO, an internal medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente Oakland, who is helping lead the upcoming event, said she’s glad to see the return of these clinics.

“It’s powerful to see physicians out in the community, always committed to the whole community,” Dr. Thompson said.

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