C-31 | Impact of Marijuana Use on Prevalence and Interventions in Peripheral Artery Disease

Abstract

The growing legalization of marijuana use warrants investigation of its various effects on the vasculature. We aim to determine whether marijuana users have an increased risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and subsequent surgical intervention. De-identified patient data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2016-2019 were queried. Inclusion criteria included a diagnosis of marijuana use and peripheral artery disease. Patients were further stratified based on any percutaneous lower extremity vascular intervention. Data was analyzed using SPSS software in a binary logistic regression model, a p value <0.001 was considered statistically significant, and samples were standardized for comparison using predicted probabilities. Of the 30m+ patients in the NIS from 2016 to 2019, there were 623,768 patients diagnosed as marijuana users. These patients had an average age of 37.4 years, even distribution across genders, were more likely to be white and more likely to be elective admissions (p<0.001). Of these patients, 2,424 (0.38%) were concomitantly diagnosed with PAD. Marijuana users were at more than three times the risk of developing PAD (OR= 3.68, p<0.001) but had no statistically significant increased risk for mortality or requiring percutaneous intervention (p<0.001). Marijuana users are at a markedly increased risk of being diagnosed with PAD but are at no increased risk of requiring intervention nor mortality from their peripheral ischemia. Possible mechanisms for this increased risk may involve changes in coagulability and peripheral vascular tone from marijuana use. Vigilant monitoring for disease screening and progression should be initiated earlier in the outpatient setting in conjunction with cessation counseling.