Marijuana use may decrease insulin resistance
Could this mean adding diabetes to the list of conditions marijuana is used to treat—along with pain, loss of appetite and glaucoma?
A 2013 study found that people who self-reported using marijuana in the last 30 days had lower levels of fasting insulin and insulin resistance, as well as a smaller waist circumference and higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
Insulin resistance is a complex condition in which the body manufactures insulin, but cells have lost their insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance increases risk of high blood sugar, fatigue, increased blood pressure, and an inability to focus. Insulin resistance is also correlated to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
This study, published in 2013 in the American Journal of Medicine, measured waist circumference, fasting insulin and glucose among 4657 men and women, 579 of reported having recently used marijuana.
Marijuana use was associated with 16% lower fasting insulin levels and 17% lower homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. The authors also noted significant associations between marijuana use and smaller waist circumferences.
These associations were not as strong in people who had used marijuana at least once, but not in the past 30 days. This suggests that marijuana’s impact on insulin and insulin resistance applies only with recent use.
Could this mean adding diabetes to the list of conditions marijuana is used to treat—along with pain, loss of appetite and glaucoma?
The major hurdle to research in this area is marijuana’s classification as a Schedule 1 drug in the Controlled Substances Act. That means that even in a controlled clinical environment, it is illegal to administer marijuana or its active chemical THC. Therefore, this and other studies in the US must rely on self-reported marijuana use, which may or may not be accurate.
With this in mind, the Editor-in-Chief, Joseph Alpert, MD of American Journal of Medicine, where this study was published, ends his editorial by writing that the government agencies responsible for drug control should '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.'
Source: E.A. Penner, et al., 'The impact of marijuana use on glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance among US adults,' Am. J. Med. 126(7), 583-589 (2013).
