CBD and Heart Arrhythmia: What We Know So Far

The relationship between CBD and arrhythmia is somewhat complicated.

Contemporary scientific research shows that CBD has a potentially beneficial effect on arrhythmia, and on the cardiovascular system as a whole.

On the other hand, a small percentage of people experience an increased heart rate and heart palpitations when they use CBD, which are known symptoms of arrhythmia. 

Before we get into more details of the research, let’s briefly explain arrhythmia.

Cardiac arrhythmia is a group of conditions characterized by an irregular heartbeat, where the heart either beats too rapidly or too slowly. 

One of the main symptoms of arrhythmia are heart palpitations, which are characterized by increased awareness of the contraction of the heart, often accompanied by the hard and irregular beating of the heart.

Unlike CBD, which is non-psychoactive, THC (the most abundant psychoactive cannabinoid in the cannabis plant) is known to cause rapid heartbeat and heart palpitations.

This especially happens to novice users, but also if the user consumes too much THC at once.

This occurs because THC significantly lowers blood pressure, which causes the heart to pick up the pace and beat faster.

For a very large percentage of users, CBD doesn’t produce this effect but some people do experience irregular heartbeats and heart palpitations from consuming cannabidiol.

A good example of how rarely this happens is this 2019 study, which analyzed the effects of CBD on people suffering from chronic pain. 

This research had 97 patients (30 to 65 years old), and only one of them experienced an increased heartbeat from using CBD. 

Patients were using two soft gels per day for 8 weeks, and each soft gel contained 15.7mg of CBD, and 0.5mg of THC.

The woman who experienced a rapid heartbeat reported that the treatment “made her heart race”.

The reasons behind this occurrence are still unknown, but if it happens to you, it’s important to understand the difference between CBD products. 

Full-spectrum CBD products have a significant amount of THC, and other minor cannabinoids and terpenes are also present in these products.

If you’re especially sensitive to THC, these types of products can definitely induce a rapid heartbeat and palpitations.

Compared to full-spectrum products, broad-spectrum CBD products have a lesser amount of THC in them, and they also contain minor cannabinoids and terpenes. 

Broad-spectrum products are far less likely to induce palpitations, although it’s still possible. 

Finally, CBD isolates are the third type of CBD products. They only contain CBD, and nothing else. These products are least likely to cause a racing heart or palpitations.

It’s important to mention that CBD isolates are considered the least beneficial type of CBD products because cannabinoids work synergically in the body.

This synergistic cooperation of different cannabinoids is known as the entourage effect, because the presence of THC and other cannabinoids increases the health benefits of CBD.

Even though some users experience arrhythmia-like symptoms from CBD, an animal study from 2010 found that an acute administration of CBD suppressed ischaemia-induced arrhythmia. 

Ischaemia is a restriction of blood to tissues, which causes a shortage of oxygen that is necessary for keeping tissues alive. 

The researchers also stated that CBD reduced the size of infarction (tissue death), when it was given at reperfusion injury. 

A 2013 review mentioned that current evidence suggests CBD has positive effects on the cardiovascular system, but that clinical research on human participants is required to determine if these positive effects will translate to the human cardiovascular system.

Finally, a 2018 review stated that cannabinoids appear as promising therapeutic agents for cardiovascular diseases. 

Conclusion

Since the research on the effects of CBD on arrhythmia (and the cardiovascular system in general) is still in its starting phases, it probably isn’t wise to consume it for these purposes until more is known on the subject.

On the other hand, if you’re experiencing heart palpitations from CBD products, make sure to follow our guidelines regarding different types of CBD products.

If these heart-related symptoms persist, you can also consider lowering the dose or perhaps even discontinuing your CBD regimen.