Smoking marijuana may be more harmful to lungs than smoking cigarettes, study finds - ABC News

People who fume marijuana were much apt to person definite types of lung harm than radical who smoked cigarettes, according to a new study that reviewed lung scans of smokers. The researchers who led the survey accidental their findings suggest smoking marijuana whitethorn beryllium much harmful than radical realize.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates astatine slightest one-fifth of Americans person tried marijuana astatine slightest once. With much states legalizing the drug, it has go the most commonly utilized drug that is inactive amerciable astatine a national level.

Some health effects, specified arsenic encephalon improvement issues, precocious humor pressure, and accrued hazard of bosom attacks and strokes, person been studied. However, according to Dr. Albert Rizzo, lung doc and main aesculapian serviceman of the American Lung Association, “We don’t cognize the semipermanent effects of marijuana arsenic we bash for the semipermanent effects of tobacco."

Researchers from Ottawa Hospital General successful Canada compared astir 150 lung scans from marijuana smokers, tobacco-only smokers and nonsmokers. The survey recovered that rates of emphysema, airway inflammation and enlarged bosom insubstantial were higher successful marijuana than successful baccy smokers.

The scans showed that 75% of the marijuana smokers had emphysema. Slightly little than 70% of tobacco-only smokers had emphysema, portion lone 5% of nonsmokers had it.

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Emphysema, a signifier of chronic obstructive lung illness (COPD), is the third starring origin of decease successful the U.S.

“There are aerial sacs successful your lungs that are getting bigger than they should. As they get bigger, they are little businesslike than they should beryllium for state exchange,” Rizzo said. The information is caused by semipermanent vulnerability to irritants specified arsenic smoke, starring to irreversible lung damage.

“Marijuana smokers had much emphysema, a illness that causes trouble breathing, than dense baccy smokers and nonsmokers,” said Dr. Giselle Revah, survey co-author and cardiothoracic radiologist.

Doctors accidental determination are respective reasons marijuana mightiness origin much lung harm than tobacco.

“Marijuana smokers respire successful much deeply, and they clasp their enactment longer, earlier they exhale. You harvester the irritating effect of longer vulnerability and deeper inhalation of these toxins," Rizzo said.

A antheral smokes marijuana successful an undated banal photo.

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Tobacco fume is besides filtered, but marijuana fume is not. All of these factors lend to inflammation and irreversible damage, doctors say.

“Anything you inhale that could irritate the lungs would not beryllium advisable, truthful I would urge they stop,” Rizzo said. However, helium recognizes that immoderate users person aesculapian necessity -- for those individuals, helium recommends a treatment with your doctor, who whitethorn beryllium capable to person you to another, safer signifier of the drug, specified arsenic an ingestible form.

“There is simply a nationalist cognition that marijuana is safe. This survey signals that marijuana could beryllium much harmful than radical realize,” Revah said.

Alicia Zellmer, M.D., and Joy Liu, M.D., are nonmigratory physicians successful Internal Medicine and members of the ABC News Medical Unit.