According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are the three main risk factors for developing heart disease, and almost half of all Americans have at least one of these risk factors.
Statistics show that someone in the United States has a heart attack every 40 seconds, and one in every four deaths is due to cardiovascular disease. Healthcare for heart disease costs the country over 200 billion dollars every year.
Another risk factor for heart disease is diabetes. Diabetes can damage the body’s blood vessels, leading to heart disease and death.
People with heart disease and diabetes are two to four times more likely to die compared to those who have heart disease but not diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association estimates that over 10% of the population has both heart disease and diabetes, costing over $34 million in healthcare dollars a year.
The overwhelming prevalence and cost of heart disease mean that millions of Americans suffer from heart disease-related symptoms, including:
- Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort (angina)
- Shortness of breath
- Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in the legs or arms if the blood vessels in those parts of the body are narrowed
- Neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen, or back pain
- Abnormal heart rate
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Swelling of the legs, ankles, and feet
- Fatigue
Because of the physical and financial cost of heart disease, scientists are studying the effects of CBD on hearth heath. Multiple studies show why CBD provides heart health benefits.
CBD and High Blood Pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the main component of heart disease. Recent studies indicate that a single dose of CBD lowers blood pressure when a person is resting and lowers blood pressure increases associated with stress.
The study also showed that CBD had a positive effect on peripheral resistance.
Because high blood pressure is related to the narrowing of blood vessels, peripheral resistance is a measure of overall blood flow within the body.
It creates the symptoms of pain, numbness, or coldness in the arms and legs.
CBD and Heart Failure
Cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart weakens, and it becomes difficult for it to pump blood to the rest of the body, often leads to heart failure.
While early stages of heart failure can be managed with diet, exercise, and medications, it is a chronic and often progressive disease.
CBD has been shown to affect receptor cells and act as an antioxidant against cellular and vascular damage in mice.
CBD reduced heart dysfunction, scarring, and hardening of the heart, oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death associated with cardiomyopathy and heart disease in diabetic mice.
CBD and Strokes
A recent study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology points to promising results with the use of CBD in animal models.
In one model, CBD has been shown to reduce the amount of damage and improve needed blood flow in diabetic animals.
Another model showed that CBD influenced platelet aggregation. Platelets are cells that are part of the clotting mechanism in the blood. Platelet aggression is when thee cells bind together to form clots, which can result in heart attacks and strokes.
Scientists have much more to study, but initial research and models show CBD to be an effective antioxidant that offers multiple heart health benefits.
Because CBD does not contain the same psychoactive components as THC, people who use CBD don’t experience the high related to THC or marijuana use.
In human trials, people treated with CBD for symptom management of neurological diseases rarely reported adverse side effects. CBD is a promising treatment for heart disease and other health issues.