From my understanding of pot, one effect is constriction of blood vessels and arteries carrying oxygen and vital nutrients to the brain and other vital organs.
Now... take a person with high cholesterol and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and they have a heart attack, collapsed arteries or blood vessels, or they have a stroke.
Since pot is illegal, I suspect most people don't admit to their physician to it as a contributing factor, provided their still alive or capable.
YOu are 100% wrong, for one marijuana prevents plague build up in the brain.
It also opens up blood vessels, and lower blood pressure. So if going by your logic, you could say it may prevent heart attacks.
The problem is you can get articles on both sides of the issue, so your left with...
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Hence, this leads to an increased likelihood of a stroke in the brain (clot that originated in the heart). It also increases the possibility of a small clot forming in the heart, which could also then travel to the arteries surrounding the heart and cause a heart attack.
Marijuana's Effects on the Heart - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com
And here is some insight into the Harvard study your article is refering to.
"This week, The Week Online spoke with Dr. Lester Grinspoon, also of Harvard. Dr. Grinspoon is one of the world's foremost marijuana researchers and is author of several books including the seminal "Marihuana Reconsidered."
And here is part of his interview:
WOL: Dr. Grinspoon, what is your assessment of the Middleman report?
Dr. Grinspoon: (Laughs). I've been getting phone calls all week about it. I even spoke with Dr. Middleman this week to ask him for his report. It has not yet been written. In fact, he does have an abstract. Now, let me say that since 1967 there have been numerous reports and studies, each of which the American media has blown out of all proportion, stating one or another supposed ill effect of marijuana use. I can list them, if you'd like. 'Increase in the size of the ventricles, decrease in testosterone, destruction of chromosomes.' All were front-page stories, none of them have ever been replicated. In other words, they didn't pan out scientifically. Of course, the studies that contradicted them ended up on page 31 or thereabouts, if they got mentioned at all.
WOL: So you don't give much weight to Dr. Middleman's findings?
Dr. Grinspoon: Well, I would point out that out of 3,882 patients, we're talking about 9 who used marijuana within an hour of the onset of a heart attack. That's around 0.2%. By sheer mathematics, given that people sleep eight hours per day or so, we can deduce that 6.7% of those patients emptied their bowels within an hour of onset. It's incredible to me that the numbers here could be said to constitute a significant risk factor.
WOL: Dr. Middleman said in an interview that he believes that it is the increased heart rate from smoking marijuana that is responsible.
Dr. Grinspoon: Yes, and he put that increase at 40 beats per minute. In truth, that number is closer to 20 beats per minute, which is probably consistent with running up the stairs in one's house.
WOL: So you disagree with Dr. Middleman's characterization of the risk as 'significant'?
Dr. Grinspoon: First, let me say that I blame the media far more than I do Dr. Middleman. I read his abstract, and in its conclusion he cautioned against making too much of the data. Conceivably, there is some risk, although if there is, it is barely measurable. Even assuming that the data presented is right, one must still wait to see if it can be replicated.
WOL: You seem to be pretty skeptical about the chances of that happening.
Dr. Grinspoon: Well, in 1997, Kaiser Permanente did a large-scale study which included more than 65,000 admitted marijuana users, and they could not demonstrate any impact of marijuana use on mortality. If marijuana use really was a significant risk factor for heart attack, it is hard to believe that it didn't turn up there. Again, I'm not saying that there is absolutely no risk demonstrated here. But given the history of the research since 1967, I'd be surprised if these findings don't go down the same chute as all of the other front-page scare stories.
Marijuana Heart Risk Unlikely to be Significant, Says Expert
So pretty much the Harvard study is crap, and with biased data.
1) Its the gateway drug: !
