Can CBD, herbal supplements affect the heart?

People’s use of supplements has increased in recent years. Many supplements may carry a certain amount of health benefits, but as they are not regulated, people should also exercise caution.

A recent case report published in Heart Rhythm Case Reports demonstrates that the excessive use of certain substances such as hemp oil could lead to severe cardiac problems.

Supplements are readily available to consumers and can offer various health benefits. For example, dietary supplements provide more of the substances found in food, such as specific vitamins or minerals.

Unlike medications, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not offer as much regulation for dietary supplements. Since the FDA regulates supplements differently than medications, the supplements are not well-studied, so the precise characteristics and side effects are not well known. You may even see variations in the preparation based on the distributor and batch.

A few examples of common supplements include calcium, vitamin D, garlic, and ginkgo. Sometimes, supplements are a combination of many compounds, such as the supplement berberine, which may be helpful in the improvement of heart problems and gut health.

One group of supplements that have become quite popular is those derived from cannabis. A few examples of cannabis derivatives include hemp oil and CBD.

Hemp oil has many potential benefits, including helping reduce muscle tension and stress and pain relief. Similarly, CBD may help with pain relief and may even help to reduce anxiety.

Currently, the FDA has only approved one derivative of CBD oil for medicinal use, Epidiolex, which can be used to treat seizures. Different derivatives of cannabis are still available as supplements, meaning that people can buy and use them without supervision from a medical professional.

The case report in question examined one 56-year-old woman and her severe symptoms that coincided with supplement use. She experienced episodes of fainting and dizziness.

Upon cardiac evaluation, medical professionals discovered that she had low blood pressure and an abnormal heart rhythm called Torsade de Pointes. This particular disturbance in heart rhythm can become life threatening.

She also experienced a prolonged QTc, which indicates problems with the heart’s electrical signals. Prolonged QTc is often associated with Torsade de Pointes.

Her magnesium levels were also low, and after treatment with intravenous magnesium and saline fluids, her heart rhythm stabilized. Her personal medical history was unremarkable. But she revealed that she had been taking hemp oil that contained both CBD and cannabigerol (CBG).

She claimed to be taking it for stress-related reasons and was taking it at six times the recommended dose. She was also taking supplements containing berberine.

Doctors discontinued all of her supplement use while she was in the hospital. After five days, her heart rhythm returned to normal.

Based on data from this patient and their study of data surrounding these supplements, study authors think that these supplements caused the patient’s QTc prolongation.

This particular case study examined supplement use in one individual and the potentially severe cardiac problems that may follow. However, it is essential to note that she took an exceptionally high amount of hemp oil.

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