A major new study, analysing data from over four million adults in the US and Europe, has linked cannabis use to an almost quadrupling in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Cannabis use is increasing globally with an estimated 219 million users (4.3% of the global adult population) in 2021.
However, little is known about its long-term metabolic effects. While some studies have suggested potential anti-inflammatory or weight management properties, others have raised concerns regarding glucose metabolism and insulin resistance, and the magnitude of the risk for developing diabetes remains unclear.
Dr Ibrahim Kamel from the Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts, USA and colleagues analysed electronic health records from 54 healthcare organisations across the US and Europe.
They identified 96,795 outpatients aged between 18 and 50 years, over half (52.5%) of which were female, with cannabis-related diagnoses ranging from occasional use to dependence, including cases of intoxication and withdrawal, between 2010 and 2018.
These were matched with 4,160,998 healthy individuals (with no record of substance use or major chronic conditions) based on age, sex, and underlying illnesses at the start of the study, and followed for five years.
After controlling HDL and LDL cholesterol, uncontrolled high blood pressure, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, cocaine use, alcohol use and several other lifestyle risk factors, the researchers found that new cases of diabetes were significantly higher in the cannabis group (1,937; 2.2%) compared to the healthy group (518; 0.6%). Statistical analysis showed that cannabis users had nearly four times the risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to non-users.
The authors note that more research is needed to fully explain the association between cannabis and diabetes, and it may come down to insulin resistance and unhealthy dietary behaviours. Further investigation is also needed to understand the long-term endocrine effects of cannabis use and whether diabetes risks are limited to inhaled products or other forms of cannabis such as edibles.
However, the study’s results have immediate implications for metabolic monitoring practices and public health messaging.
“As cannabis becomes more widely available and socially accepted, and legalised in various jurisdictions, it is essential to understand its potential health risks,” said lead author Dr Kamel.
“These new sights from reliable real-world evidence highlight the importance of integrating diabetes risk awareness into substance use disorder treatment and counselling, as well as the need for healthcare professionals to routinely talk to patients about cannabis use so that they can understand their overall diabetes risk and potential need for metabolic monitoring.”
Despite the findings, this retrospective study cannot prove that cannabis use causes diabetes, the authors say, and they cannot rule out the possibility that other unmeasured factors may have influenced the results despite efforts to reduce confounding bias via propensity score matching.
The authors also acknowledge limitations of real-world data from inconsistent reporting, lack of detailed consumption data and the risk of bias due to the reliance on participants to report cannabis use even in jurisdictions where it remains illegal.
The data is being presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (September 15-19).
The post Cannabis Use May Quadruple Risk of Type 2 Diabetes – Study appeared first on Cannabis Health News.
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