Cannabis Use, ECG Abnormalities, and HIV: What a Decade of Data Reveals
A growing body of research continues to explore how lifestyle factors—such as cannabis use—affect cardiovascular health, particularly in people living with HIV. A recent study provides new insights into whether cannabis use is linked to ECG abnormalities and how risks differ by sex and HIV status.
Key Findings From the Study
The study’s TOPLINE finding states: “Cannabis use showed no significant association with ECG abnormalities in people with HIV infection, although women had higher odds of abnormal ECG findings than men. Men with HIV infection had higher odds of ECG abnormalities than those without HIV infection.”
This conclusion challenges assumptions that cannabis might worsen cardiac outcomes in people living with HIV, instead pointing to other demographic and clinical factors—such as age and sex—as more meaningful drivers of ECG changes.
How the Study Was Conducted
According to the METHODOLOGY section:
“Researchers examined data from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study/Women’s Interagency HIV Study Combined Cohort Study to assess the association between cannabis use and ECG abnormalities in people with or without HIV infection between 2007 and 2017. Overall, 3610 participants were enrolled, of whom 2272 had HIV infection and 992 reported cannabis use.”
Cannabis use was identified through self-reported questionnaires, and participants were categorized as current users if they reported any cannabis use since their prior visit.
Each participant received a single ECG measurement to assess myocardial infarction indicators and other cardiac abnormalities.
The TAKEAWAY clearly highlights the main results:
“The use of cannabis showed no significant association with ECG evidence of myocardial infarction (odds ratio [OR], 1.02; 95% CI, 0.82-1.26) or other abnormalities (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.80-1.32). Women had 30% higher odds of ECG evidence of myocardial infarction than men (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.59-0.84). Each 5-year increase in age was associated with higher odds of ECG evidence of myocardial infarction or other abnormalities (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.00-1.16), and people with HIV infection had higher odds of ECG evidence of other abnormalities than those without HIV infection (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.03-1.51). Among men, older age and HIV infection increased the odds of evidence of myocardial infarction and other abnormalities, whereas in women, only older age did so.”
Why This Matters for Clinical Practice
The authors note:
“By understanding dose-response relationships between cannabis use and CVD [cardiovascular disease], we can better elucidate mechanisms whereby its use may have differential effects on cardiovascular risk.”
Study Details, Limitations, and Funding
The SOURCE notes that the study was led by Michaela E. Larson, MPH, of the University of Miami, and published on October 23, 2025, in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
Among the LIMITATIONS:
The cross-sectional design, reliance on self-reported cannabis use, and lack of cannabinoid metabolite measurement restricted deeper analysis.
The DISCLOSURES indicate funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, with no declared conflicts of interest.
