By Steven Voser

OVERVIEW OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS DISEASE

Inflammation is a natural, protective response to infection. Its purpose is to remove pathogens or damaged tissue, although it’s very important that the location of damage is carefully monitored. If inflammation persists longer than needed, it can cause harm to the body. Inflammatory disease atherosclerosis, also known as coronary artery disease (CAD), is a very common contributing factor to life-threatening heart conditions including strokes and heart attacks.

Atherosclerosis is characterised by the hardening and narrowing of the arteries, impairing blood flow to the heart and brain caused by the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries. The inner cell lining of the arteries is made up of fat, cholesterol, and other substances found in the blood, called the endothelium. Subsequently, as plaque builds, an inflammatory response from the immune system will cause even more damage to the arteries. A partial or total blockage may occur and stop blood flow through the arteries of the brain, pelvis, heart, legs, arms, or kidneys caused by obstructive plaques. When this happens, the site of the plaque determines the type of coronary disease. These include:

  • Coronary heart disease 
  • Angina 
  • Carotid artery disease
  • Peripheral artery disease 
  • Chronic kidney disease

During early stages of atherosclerosis, there may be no visible symptoms for several years. You can analogise this to an overlooked plumbing issue with pipes. To get a better idea of things, just imagine a thick sludge forming on the inside of those pipes, creating a large obstruction and blocking anything that tries to pass. It may not be a perfect comparison regarding atherosclerosis, as buildups don’t just form on artery walls, but inside them. Still, you get the idea. Eventually, if this disease progresses, it will get to the point where you may feel these symptoms, which can be experienced during activity or at rest:

Atherosclerosis Cannabis

  • Chest pain (This varies for men and women)
  • Radiating pain throughout body
  • Shortness of breath
  • Overwhelming fatigue
  • Sweating
  • Nausea
  • Breathing difficulties 
  • Heart palpitations
  • Loss of consciousness

It’s not known what exactly causes atherosclerosis to develop, but smoking cigarettes, high blood pressure, high glucose levels, and high cholesterol levels could possibly contribute to one’s risk. For example, when “bad cholesterol” builds up in coronary artery walls, the body will send white blood cells and other cells to the toxic site. Over the years, a bump on the artery wall can develop and obstruct the supply of blood flow. This will eventually cause plaques to form. Patients will take prescribed medication to treat this disease, including blood thinners and statins commonly used to lower cholesterol levels. Although these kinds of medications may be life-saving and prevent future cardiac events, they are moderately effective and not without side effects. These include:

  • Prolonged bleeding
  • Bleeding gums
  • Nosebleeds
  • Bloody urine or feces
  • Unusually heavy menstruation

Scientific literature has suggested that psychoactive compounds such as THC have a profound influence and beneficial effect on immune system cells. THC is said to decrease secretion of proinflammatory substances and their migration to the artery vessel wall.

CANNABINOIDS AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS

To determine the role of marijuana in atherosclerotic coronary heart disease prevention, we must first understand how cannabinoid receptors work in the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system is comprised of cannabinoids and plays a vital role in maintaining proper cell function in different systems of the body. Basically, there are two main cell receptors that make up the ECS: Cannabinoid Receptor 1 and Cannabinoid Receptor 2. CB1 receptors are found mostly on brain cells and are responsible for the chemical’s psychotropic effects, while CB2 receptors are more abundant and mostly found on immune cells.

There are many cannabinoid receptors found on the surface of cells in the human body. Major organs like the brain, heart, liver, and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) have CB1 receptors. Small, naturally-produced fat-like molecules within cell membranes known as endocannabinoids, endo meaning “within”, activate these receptors and act as the body’s natural THC. Endocannabinoids are synthesised on-demand; in other words, they get made and used exactly when they’re needed, rather than being stored away for later use like many other biological molecules in the body.

When cannabis is consumed, psychoactive compound THC interacts with CB1 and CB2 receptors. Immediately, cannabinoids bind to CB2 receptors and fight atherosclerosis by producing changes in brain messages and also by regulating blood circulation and cardiac functions.

Atherosclerosis Investigation Lab

TESTING THC ON MICE

A study[1] conducted by Francois Mach and colleagues showed that cannabis compounds are beneficial to blood vessels and reduced progression of atherosclerosis in mice. In the study, a group of mice were given a high cholesterol diet for 11 weeks, designed to clog their arteries. Halfway through the diet at 6 weeks, some mice were orally administered 1 mg of THC daily, which yielded the most significant improvements.

Predominant psychoactive compound THC was shown to inhibit disease progression through pleiotropic effects (which statins also accomplish) on inflammatory cells. Afterwards, findings revealed that mice who had received THC had a lower level of blood vessel clogging than the others. When another drug was used to block CB2 receptors in the mice, THC couldn't prevent buildup from fatty deposits in the animals' arteries. As for the CB1 receptors, the THC dose orally administered in the study was in an amount that was not high enough to actually produce psychoactive effects. During treatment, not one mouse showed unhealthy behavior. According to researchers of the cardiology division at University Hospital in Geneva, Switzerland including Mach, the results may be due to THC's anti-inflammatory properties. Dr. Mach believes future work regarding cannabis and inflammatory diseases will focus on finding drugs that mimic the benefit without producing the effects of cannabis on the brain.

CB1 And CB2 With THC And CBD Interaction Blood Pressure

FINAL THOUGHTS

Perhaps there is more research needed on the use of cannabis and preventing coronary diseases. The recreational use of cannabis may not be the best way to benefit from the plant’s medicinal properties. In other studies[2], it’s been found that cannabis use increased the risk of coronary and cardiovascular complications. Consuming marijuana increases heart rate and standing blood pressure, and also reduces lying blood pressure. This is why medical marijuana is suggested, as studies also show that various cannabinoids have their own effects on atherosclerosis.

Luckily, there is still hope for those wanting to naturally regulate and prevent problems caused by arterial plaque without traditional pharmaceuticals. Doctors have been prescribing patients edibles and vaporizers, as it is said to be a safer and healthier way to consume cannabis, especially for patients who are already sick. There are also some lifestyle changes a patient can make to manage atherosclerosis. It is important to:

  • Get your cholesterol regularly checked
  • Eat a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol, and low-sodium diet
  • Exercise regularly
  • Maintain a healthy weight to reduce risk factors such as high blood pressure
External Resources:
  1. The role of the endocannabinoid system in atherosclerosis. - PubMed - NCBI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Marijuana Use and Cardiovascular Disease. - PubMed - NCBI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: