diabetes Archives - TheJointBlog

Study: THC May Treat Diabetes-Induced Cardiovascular Disease

November 29, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

According to a new study published by the journal BioMed Research International, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may be “a potential new target for the treatment of diabetes-induced cardiovascular disease.”

“The aim of this study was to determine if chronic, low-dose administration of a nonspecific cannabinoid receptor agonist could provide cardioprotective effects in a model of type I diabetes mellitus”, states the study’s abstract. “Diabetes was induced in eight-week-old male Wistar-Kyoto rats.. Following the induction of diabetes, Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol was administered via intraperitoneal injection (0.15 mg kg^-1 day^-1) for an eight-week period until the animals reached sixteen weeks of age.”

Upon completion of the treatment regime, “assessments of vascular reactivity and left ventricular function and electrophysiology were made, as were serum markers of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation.” According to researchers, “Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol administration to diabetic animals significantly reduced blood glucose concentrations and attenuated pathological changes in serum markers of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Positive changes to biochemical indices in diabetic animals conferred improvements in myocardial and vascular function. This study demonstrates that chronic, low-dose administration of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol can elicit antihyperglycaemic and antioxidant effects in diabetic animals, leading to improvements in end organ function of the cardiovascular system.”

Study: Cannabis a Potential Treatment Option for Insulin Resistance and Obesity-Related Diabetes

December 20, 2016December 20, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

Activation of the cannabinoid 2 receptor – done naturally through the consumption of cannabis and cannabinoids – may be a potential treatment option for insulin resistance and obesity-related diabetes.

This is according to new research out of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the Chinese Academy of Medical Science; the study was study published in the journal Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, and epublished by the U.S. National Institute of Health.

“The endocannabinoid signalling (ECS) system has been known to regulate glucose homeostasis”. states the study’s abstract. “Previous studies have suggested that the cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptor may play a regulatory role on insulin secretion, immune modulation and insulin resistance.”

Given that diabetes and insulin resistance are attributable to elevated inflammatory tone, researchers “investigated the role of CB2 receptor on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in high-fat diet (HFD)/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced mice.”

Study: Cannabinoids a Treatment Option for Diabetes-Associated Depression

August 22, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

The journal European Neuropsychopharmacology has published a study showing that cannabinoids may provide a treatment option for depression associated with diabetes.

“The pathophysiology associated with increased prevalence of depression in diabetics is not completely understood, although studies have pointed the endocannabinoid system as a possible target”, researchers state. With this in mind, they “aimed to investigate the role of this system in the pathophysiology of depression associated with diabetes.”

Study: Cannabis Users Less Likely To Be Obese, Possess Lower Diabetes Risk

August 13, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

By Paul Armentano, NORML

A history of cannabis use is associated with a lower likelihood of obesity and diabetes, according to population-based data published in the journal Obesity.

Investigators from the Conference of Quebec University Health Centers assessed cannabis use patterns and body mass index (BMI) in a cohort of 786 Inuit (Arctic aboriginal) adults ages 18 to 74. Researchers reported that subjects who consumed cannabis in the past year were more likely to possess a lower BMI, lower fasting insulin, and lower HOMA-IR (insulin resistance) as compared to those who did not use the substance.

Study: Cannnabis Useful in Treatment of Diabetic Neuropathy

July 27, 2015July 26, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

By Laird Harrison, Medscape

For the study, participants consumed cannabis using a Volcano vaporizer.

Inhaled cannabis can blunt the pain of diabetic neuropathy without seriously impairing cognitive function, a new study shows.

“The higher the dose, the more the pain relief,” first author Mark Wallace, MD, told Medscape Medical News. “There was, however, a dose-dependent increase in euphoria.”

The study is the first randomized controlled trial of inhaled cannabis for diabetic neuropathy pain, said Dr Wallace, chair of the Division of Pain Management at the University of California, San Diego. It was published in the July issue of the Journal of Pain.

New Study: Those with History of Cannabis Use Are Less Likely to Have Diabetes

May 27, 2015May 27, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

Individuals with a history of cannabis use are less likely to have diabetes, according to a new study being published in the journal Epidemiology, and published online ahead of print by the U.S. National Institute of Health.

“Recently active cannabis smoking and diabetes mellitus are inversely associated,” claim reservoirs after performing a meta-study assessing cannabis use and diabetes in the general population. “Current evidence is too weak for causal inference, but there now is a more stable evidence base for new lines of clinical translational research on a possibly protective (or spurious) cannabis smoking-diabetes mellitus association suggested in prior research”.

New Study Finds Cannabis Oral Spray Dramatically Improves Peripheral Neuropathic Pain

October 17, 2014October 16, 2014 by Anthony Martinelli

A new study just released out of the U.K., and recently published in the Journal of Neurology, has examined the efficacy of the THC/CBD oromucosal spray Sativex on peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP).

The peripheral nervous system connects nerves from the spinal cord and brain to the rest of the body; the pain associated with peripheral neuropathy, or the damaging of these nerves, can be very difficult to treat.

Over the course of 38 weeks, researchers examined 380 patients from all over the world (U.S., U.K., Canada, Czech Republic, Romania and Belgium) suffering from peripheral neuropathic pain associated with diabetes (peripheral neuropathy is the most common side effect of diabetes) or allodynia (allodynia is pain resulting from things that normally shouldn’t cause pain, such as a light touch, mild skin temperatures or normal movement of joints and muscles).

Study: THC May Treat Symptoms of Diabetes

September 12, 2014September 9, 2014 by Anthony Martinelli

A study published this month by the journal Cell Biochemistry and Function, and published online by the U.S. National Institute of Health, has found promising evidence to suggest that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may provide a safe and effective treatment option for those with diabetes.

For the study; “Rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, Δ⁹ -THC, diabetes and diabetes + Δ⁹ -THC groups. Δ⁹ -THC was administered intraperitoneally [through injection] at 3 mg/kg/day for 7 days. Body weights and blood glucose level of rats in all groups were measured on days 0, 7, 14 and 21.”

Researchers found that treatment with THC “significantly increased pancreas glutathione levels, enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in diabetes compared with non-treatment diabetes group.. We can suggest that Δ⁹ -THC may be an important agent for the treatment of oxidative damages induced by diabetes.”