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Marijuana use led to lower fasting insulin levels
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Previous epidemiological studies have suggested that marijuana use leads to a lower prevalence of obesity and diabetes vs. rates among those who have never used marijuana. In a recent study, researchers found that marijuana users displayed lower fasting insulin levels, insulin resistance and smaller waist circumference compared with those who did not use marijuana.
“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 (ie, 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, [homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance], waist circumference and HDL-C were similar and remained statistically significant,” study researcher, Elizabeth Penner, MD, MPH, said in a press release.
In a cross-sectional study, the researchers examined data from 4,657 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2010). Patients aged 20 to 59 years completed self-report assessments of marijuana use, and fasting insulin and glucose were measured after a 9-hour fast.
According to study data, 579 patients were current marijuana users and 1,975 were past users. Researchers found that current marijuana use was associated with 16% lower fasting insulin levels (95% CI, −26 to −6) and 17% lower HOMA-IR (95% CI, −27 to −6), and 1.63 mg/dL higher HDL levels (95% CI, 0.23-3.04) in multivariable adjusted models. Additionally, the researchers reported significant associations between marijuana use and smaller waist circumference despite higher caloric intake.
Joseph S. Alpert
In an accompanying editorial, Joseph S. Alpert, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson, said the data were impressive.
“Is it possible that THC will be commonly prescribed in the future for patients with diabetes or metabolic syndrome alongside antidiabetic oral agents or insulin for improved management of this chronic illness? Only time will answer this question for us,” Alpert, editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Medicine, wrote. “Nevertheless, what is very clear is that we desperately need a great deal more basic and clinical research into the short- and long-term effects of this agent in a variety of clinical settings, such as cancer, diabetes and frailty of the elderly. I would like to call on the National Institutes of Health and the Drug Enforcement Administration 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.”
For more information:
Alpert JS. Am J Med. 2013;doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.04.003.
Penner EA. Am J Med. 2013;doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.03.002.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.