Association between Current and Cumulative Cannabis use and Heart Rate. The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study.

BACKGROUND Resting heart rate can predict cardiovascular disease. Heart rate increases with tobacco smoking but its association with cannabis use is unclear. We studied the association between current and cumulative cannabis use and heart rate. METHODS We used data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study, a large prospective cohort of 5,115 Black and white women and men followed over 30 years. We explored the association between cannabis exposure and heart rate, adjusted for demographic factors, cardiovascular risk factors, alcohol and other illicit drug use, physical activity, and beta-blockers, in mixed longitudinal models censoring participants with cardiovascular disease. RESULTS CARDIA participants contributed to 35,654 individual exams over 30 years. At the Year 30 exam, 471/3,269 (14%) currently used cannabis. In multivariable adjusted models, compared to no current use, using cannabis five times per month was associated with lower heart rate of -0.7 bpm (95% CI: -1.0 to -0.3), and daily use with lower heart rate of -2.1 bpm (95% CI: -3.0 to -1.3, overall p