Key result
Marijuana use triggered atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) in a 40-year-old male, highlighting it as a potential trigger for unexplained AVNRT.
Why the study?
Previous reports documented various arrhythmias associated with marijuana use other than AVNRT, but marijuana use as an association or trigger for AVNRT remained uncharacterized.
Does marijuana use trigger atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT)?
Case Report (n=1)
No
Does marijuana use trigger atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT)?
Marijuana use should be considered as a potential trigger in patients presenting with otherwise unexplainable AVNRT.
Consider marijuana use in unexplained AVNRT; this case report leaves open causality pending prospective studies.
Marijuana is the most commonly abused recreational substance. With the increasing legalization of marijuana, its use is expected to rise. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychotropic component of marijuana, acting via CB1 and CB2 G-protein coupled cannabinoid receptors. Marijuana has serious cardiovascular effects including tachycardia, orthostatic hypotension, angina and myocardial infarction to name a few. Previous reports by our group and others documented various arrhythmias other than atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) that are associated with marijuana use. In this report, we present a case of AVNRT associated with marijuana use. Marijuana in high doses stimulates parasympathetic nerves. While parasympathetic stimulation can increase the refractory period of the fast conduction pathway, it has no effect on the slow and retrograde pathways, therefore its use creates an ideal milieu for AVNRT initiation and maintenance. Our case report highlights the importance of including marijuana use in the differential diagnosis, as a possible trigger, for patients presenting with AVNRT that is otherwise unexplainable.
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Kariyanna et al. (2019) conducted a case report in Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia (AVNRT) (n=1). Marijuana use was evaluated on Development of AVNRT. Marijuana use triggered atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) in a 40-year-old male, highlighting it as a potential trigger for unexplained AVNRT.
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