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Marijuana Users Have Better Blood Sugar Control
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Oliver Crangle
May 16, 2013, 10:02:29 AM5/16/13
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Marijuana Users Have Better Blood Sugar Control
May 15, 2013 — Regular marijuana use is associated with favorable
indices related to diabetic control, say investigators. They found
that current marijuana users had significantly lower fasting insulin
and were less likely to be insulin resistant, even after excluding
patients with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Their findings are
reported in the current issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) has been used for centuries to relieve
pain, improve mood, and increase appetite. Outlawed in the United
States in 1937, its social use continues to increase and public
opinion is swinging in favor of the medicinal use of marijuana. There
are an estimated 17.4 million current users of marijuana in the United
States. Approximately 4.6 million of these users smoke marijuana daily
or almost daily. A synthetic form of its active ingredient,
tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC, has already been approved
to treat side-effects of chemotherapy, AIDS-induced anorexia, nausea,
and other medical conditions. With the recent legalization of
recreational marijuana in two states and the legalization of medical
marijuana in 19 states and the District of Columbia, physicians will
increasingly encounter marijuana use among their patient populations.
A multicenter research team analyzed data obtained during the National
Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2010. They
studied data from 4,657 patients who completed a drug use
questionnaire. Of these, 579 were current marijuana users, 1,975 had
used marijuana in the past but were not current users, and 2,103 had
never inhaled or ingested marijuana. Fasting insulin and glucose were
measured via blood samples following a nine hour fast, and homeostasis
model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated to
evaluate insulin resistance.
Participants who reported using marijuana in the past month had lower
levels of fasting insulin and HOMA-IR and higher levels of high-
density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). These associations were
weaker among those who reported using marijuana at least once, but not
in the past thirty days, suggesting that the impact of marijuana use
on insulin and insulin resistance exists during periods of recent use.
Current users had 16% lower fasting insulin levels than participants
who reported never having used marijuana in their lifetimes.
Large waist circumference is linked to diabetes risk. In the current
study there were also significant associations between marijuana use
and smaller waist circumferences.
"Previous epidemiologic studies have found lower prevalence rates of
obesity and diabetes mellitus in marijuana users compared to people
who have never used marijuana, suggesting a relationship between
cannabinoids and peripheral metabolic processes, but ours is the first
study to investigate the relationship between marijuana use and
fasting insulin, glucose, and insulin resistance," says lead
investigator Murray A. Mittleman, MD, DrPH, of the Cardiovascular
Epidemiology Research Unit at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center, Boston.
"It is possible that the inverse association in fasting insulin levels
and insulin resistance seen among current marijuana users could be in
part due to changes in usage patterns among those with a diagnosis of
diabetes (i.e., those with diabetes may have been told to cease
smoking). However, after we excluded those subjects with a diagnosis
of diabetes mellitus, the associations between marijuana use and
insulin levels, HOMA-IR, waist circumference, and HDL-C were similar
and remained statistically significant," states Elizabeth Penner, MD,
MPH, an author of the study.
Although people who smoke marijuana have higher average caloric intake
levels than non-users, marijuana use has been associated with lower
body-mass index (BMI) in two previous surveys. "The mechanisms
underlying this paradox have not been determined and the impact of
regular marijuana use on insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk
factors remains unknown," says coauthor Hannah Buettner.
The investigators acknowledge that data on marijuana use were self-
reported and may be subject to underestimation or denial of illicit
drug use. However, they point out, underestimation of drug use would
likely yield results biased toward observing no association.
Editor-in-Chief Joseph S. Alpert, MD, Professor of Medicine at the
University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, comments, "These
are indeed remarkable observations that are supported, as the authors
note, by basic science experiments that came to similar conclusions.
"We desperately need a great deal more basic and clinical research
into the short- and long-term effects of marijuana in a variety of
clinical settings such as cancer, diabetes, and frailty of the
elderly," continues Alpert." I would like to call on the NIH and the
DEA to collaborate in developing policies to implement solid
scientific investigations that would lead to information assisting
physicians in the proper use and prescription of THC in its synthetic
or herbal form."
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Elsevier, via
AlphaGalileo.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further
information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Elizabeth A. Penner, Hannah Buettner, Murray A. Mittleman. The Impact
of Marijuana Use on Glucose, Insulin, and Insulin Resistance among US
Adults. The American Journal of Medicine, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.
2013.03.002
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130515085208.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fhealth_medicine+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Health+%26+Medicine+News%29
May 15, 2013 — Regular marijuana use is associated with favorable
indices related to diabetic control, say investigators. They found
that current marijuana users had significantly lower fasting insulin
and were less likely to be insulin resistant, even after excluding
patients with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Their findings are
reported in the current issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) has been used for centuries to relieve
pain, improve mood, and increase appetite. Outlawed in the United
States in 1937, its social use continues to increase and public
opinion is swinging in favor of the medicinal use of marijuana. There
are an estimated 17.4 million current users of marijuana in the United
States. Approximately 4.6 million of these users smoke marijuana daily
or almost daily. A synthetic form of its active ingredient,
tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC, has already been approved
to treat side-effects of chemotherapy, AIDS-induced anorexia, nausea,
and other medical conditions. With the recent legalization of
recreational marijuana in two states and the legalization of medical
marijuana in 19 states and the District of Columbia, physicians will
increasingly encounter marijuana use among their patient populations.
A multicenter research team analyzed data obtained during the National
Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2010. They
studied data from 4,657 patients who completed a drug use
questionnaire. Of these, 579 were current marijuana users, 1,975 had
used marijuana in the past but were not current users, and 2,103 had
never inhaled or ingested marijuana. Fasting insulin and glucose were
measured via blood samples following a nine hour fast, and homeostasis
model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated to
evaluate insulin resistance.
Participants who reported using marijuana in the past month had lower
levels of fasting insulin and HOMA-IR and higher levels of high-
density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). These associations were
weaker among those who reported using marijuana at least once, but not
in the past thirty days, suggesting that the impact of marijuana use
on insulin and insulin resistance exists during periods of recent use.
Current users had 16% lower fasting insulin levels than participants
who reported never having used marijuana in their lifetimes.
Large waist circumference is linked to diabetes risk. In the current
study there were also significant associations between marijuana use
and smaller waist circumferences.
"Previous epidemiologic studies have found lower prevalence rates of
obesity and diabetes mellitus in marijuana users compared to people
who have never used marijuana, suggesting a relationship between
cannabinoids and peripheral metabolic processes, but ours is the first
study to investigate the relationship between marijuana use and
fasting insulin, glucose, and insulin resistance," says lead
investigator Murray A. Mittleman, MD, DrPH, of the Cardiovascular
Epidemiology Research Unit at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center, Boston.
"It is possible that the inverse association in fasting insulin levels
and insulin resistance seen among current marijuana users could be in
part due to changes in usage patterns among those with a diagnosis of
diabetes (i.e., those with diabetes may have been told to cease
smoking). However, after we excluded those subjects with a diagnosis
of diabetes mellitus, the associations between marijuana use and
insulin levels, HOMA-IR, waist circumference, and HDL-C were similar
and remained statistically significant," states Elizabeth Penner, MD,
MPH, an author of the study.
Although people who smoke marijuana have higher average caloric intake
levels than non-users, marijuana use has been associated with lower
body-mass index (BMI) in two previous surveys. "The mechanisms
underlying this paradox have not been determined and the impact of
regular marijuana use on insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk
factors remains unknown," says coauthor Hannah Buettner.
The investigators acknowledge that data on marijuana use were self-
reported and may be subject to underestimation or denial of illicit
drug use. However, they point out, underestimation of drug use would
likely yield results biased toward observing no association.
Editor-in-Chief Joseph S. Alpert, MD, Professor of Medicine at the
University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, comments, "These
are indeed remarkable observations that are supported, as the authors
note, by basic science experiments that came to similar conclusions.
"We desperately need a great deal more basic and clinical research
into the short- and long-term effects of marijuana in a variety of
clinical settings such as cancer, diabetes, and frailty of the
elderly," continues Alpert." I would like to call on the NIH and the
DEA to collaborate in developing policies to implement solid
scientific investigations that would lead to information assisting
physicians in the proper use and prescription of THC in its synthetic
or herbal form."
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Tweet
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Share on stumbleupon Share on linkedin Share on pinterest_share Share
on blogger Share on digg Share on delicious Share on newsvine |
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Elsevier, via
AlphaGalileo.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further
information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Elizabeth A. Penner, Hannah Buettner, Murray A. Mittleman. The Impact
of Marijuana Use on Glucose, Insulin, and Insulin Resistance among US
Adults. The American Journal of Medicine, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.
2013.03.002
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130515085208.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fhealth_medicine+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Health+%26+Medicine+News%29
Jorge
May 20, 2013, 11:57:47 AM5/20/13
to
In article
<5e62cd84-ed7a-40f7...@y5g2000yqy.googlegroups.com>,
and if you don't like the "smoke"
better is the vapourizer . or eating the magic brownies.
http://www.rttnews.com/2119987/smoking-marijuana-may-decrease-diabetes-ri
sk.aspx?type=hnr
--
Karma ; what a concept!
<5e62cd84-ed7a-40f7...@y5g2000yqy.googlegroups.com>,
better is the vapourizer . or eating the magic brownies.
http://www.rttnews.com/2119987/smoking-marijuana-may-decrease-diabetes-ri
sk.aspx?type=hnr
--
Karma ; what a concept!
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Oliver Crangle
Apr 16, 2014, 8:48:03 AM4/16/14
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