Estimates suggest that around 219 million people used cannabis in 2021, or around 4.3% of the global adult population. Although some research suggests the substance has anti-inflammatory and weight management properties, other studies suggest that it may negatively affect glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. How exactly cannabis use affects diabetes risk, however, remains unclear.
In the current study, researchers examined health records from 96, 795 outpatients aged between 18 and 50 years old from the US and Europe for cannabis-related diagnoses between 2010 and 2018. The data was compared with records from over four million healthy individuals with no record of substance use or major chronic conditions. They were followed for five years.
After controlling for factors including cholesterol, uncontrolled hypertension, and various lifestyle factors, the researchers found that 2.2% of those in the cannabis group developed diabetes compared to just 0.6% in the healthy group. A statistical analysis showed that cannabis users had an almost four times higher risk of developing diabetes than non-users.
“As cannabis becomes more widely available and socially accepted, and legalized in various jurisdictions, it is essential to understand its potential health risks,” said lead author of the study, Dr Ibrahim Kamel from the Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts, USA, in a press release.
“These new sights from reliable real-world evidence highlight the importance of integrating diabetes risk awareness into substance use disorder treatment and counseling, as well as the need for healthcare professional to routinely talk to patients about cannabis use so that they can understand their overall diabetes risk and potential need for metabolic monitoring,” he added.
As the study is retrospective in nature, it cannot prove causation, meaning it is possible that other unmeasured factors influenced the results. Further limitations include a lack of detailed cannabis consumption data and a risk of bias from self-reported measures of cannabis exposure.
Sources: Science Daily