I am 65 years old and have recently had 2 stents put in beca...

I am 65 years old and have recently had 2 stents put in because of my Angina. I am fit, not over weight and active. I am a social drinker, mostley wine and have been smoking the occasional joint since the early 70s. (now only several times a year) I know that drinking is a problem because alcohol increases blood pressure and heart rate, but as far as I know, Marijuana increases heart rate but lowers blood pressure. I am looking for the correct answer to weather having an occasional joint will make my heart problems worse or not.
Any Idea?

Your doctors have given you an extra few years of life. You know that you need to control your BP and heart rate to prevent damage to the stents and your your heart to ensure that you keep those years. Anything you do to limit your time is therefore up to you.

An occasional glass of wine is unlikely to harm you, and in fact up to a glass a day may be good for you, helping your cholesterol levels in check. Some red wines are even better for you. On the other hand 3 glasses on Saturday and Sunday doesn't cut the mustard.

Smoking (anything) on the other hand offers no benefits and the nicotine in the tobacco that's a part of that drug habit is definitely not good for you.

So, the choice is therefore yours. You know the correct answer already. The question is how much do you want to do to thank the doctors for giving you more time alive and how much do you want to stay alive.

Thank you for your reply. I am trying to get a medical answer to this. The type of answer including medical facts. I would really like a scientific answer to my question, hopefully from a physician who has dealt with this before.

I think this is going to become an issue what with the 60's generation and the boomers getting to the age where they start having heart problems and many of them having smoked a bit of dope over the years. Certainly marijuana calms you down, it relaxes you.

I believe in everything in moderation including both alcohol and marijuana but I would prefer not to give up either unless they are going to really damage my health or my longevity. And if they are, I'd like to know exactly why.

You want a medical answer? You've come to the wrong place! You'll have to put your body in front of your doctor and admit to your habit and ask him!

Every individual is unique, their disease is unique and therefore the answer to specific questions is well outside the scope of any online forum.

This is a support type forum. Members helping members as best they know how. No doctors making regular posts though. I've done some research on your question before answering it though, and came to the conclusion that other than the generic answer that I gave you (alcohol and heart disease is fairly well documented, but not drugs).

So, sorry, we don't have a better answer for you. You may not find one either.

Thank you for pointing out this as a support forum. I had thought there might be someone out there who had encountered this question before.

BTW a few tokes a few times a year is hardly a habit.

OK, "admit that you're using drugs occasionally to your doctor". The fact that you are clearly trying to justify using them says it's a habit. The very act of smoking isn't good for your heart and lungs ... let alone what you're smoking!

That I've found nothing that says "it'll kill you" suggests that it probably won't be of particular harm. But it's something that you should think about very carefully. You've been saved from premature death with the stents ... I was saved from very premature death by bypass surgery. I've been doing things that can prolong that lifespan back to close to normal for my family, not those that have the potential to shorten it from the 15-20 average years I was given.

Your choice. Sorry if I'm not sympathetic to your request, but that's how I look at life.