420 with CNW — Research Finds Cannabis Users Have Lower Blood Pressure
Over the past decade or so, a growing body of research has revealed that cannabis has significant therapeutic potential. Studies have found that cannabis can be effective against a host of medical conditions, including chronic pain, insomnia and anxiety, with none of the side effects typically observed with pharmaceutical use.
Even as dozens of American states and overseas territories now allow their residents to purchase and use cannabis for medical purposes, researchers across the world are still trying to understand the plant’s full therapeutic potential. A recent study published in “NatureScientific Reports” journal has provided evidence linking cannabis usage to lower blood pressure.
For their study, investigators conducted an analysis of data gathered from more than 91,000 subjects to assess the relationship between blood pressure and marijuana consumption. They found that current and lifetime users of the plant tend to have lower blood pressure levels and that the effect was more pronounced in women compared to men.
Alexandre Vallée, the study’s lead researcher, highlighted that past studies on the relationship between blood pressure and cannabis use relied on a limited population pool and rarely looked at how cannabis consumption affected the blood pressure of different genders. This time, Vallée and her team sourced data from the UK Biobank, where a whopping 156,959 volunteers provided information on their cannabis use and blood pressure.
The researchers excluded 65,798 individuals who had past cardiovascular events and currently used antidepressants and antihypertensive drugs. They then the measured diastolic and systolic blood pressures of the remaining participants two times and asked them to report their lifetime cannabis use habits via a questionnaire.
Those who admitted to using cannabis a long time ago were still classified as marijuana users while participants who had never used the drugs were used as study controls. The cannabis users were then separated into other groups, based on their level of cannabis use and also whether they were former or current users.
According to the study, heavy lifetime cannabis use was linked to a reduction on both diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure in both genders. Furthermore, the decrease in blood pressure was more pronounced in women compared to men. The researchers also observed that current cannabis users of both genders also exhibited lower blood pressure levels.
However, they noted that while other studies had also shown a stronger relationship between cannabis use and systolic pressure compared to cannabis use and diastolic pressure, they still weren’t completely certain of the relationship between cannabis and blood pressure. In their report, the investigators added that cannabinoid content could play a role in affecting blood pressure, with some previous studies showing that both CBD and THC both induce vasorelaxation and lower blood pressure.
This therapeutic potential of marijuana is making it possible for entities such as India Globalization Capital Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) to focus on developing THC-based formulations for conditions such as chronic pain, which take a toll on millions of Americans each year.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to India Globalization Capital Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/IGC
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer
Over the past decade or so, a growing body of research has revealed that cannabis has significant therapeutic potential. Studies have found that cannabis can be effective against a host of medical conditions, including chronic pain, insomnia and anxiety, with none of the side effects typically observed with pharmaceutical use.
Even as dozens of American states and overseas territories now allow their residents to purchase and use cannabis for medical purposes, researchers across the world are still trying to understand the plant’s full therapeutic potential. A recent study published in “NatureScientific Reports” journal has provided evidence linking cannabis usage to lower blood pressure.
For their study, investigators conducted an analysis of data gathered from more than 91,000 subjects to assess the relationship between blood pressure and marijuana consumption. They found that current and lifetime users of the plant tend to have lower blood pressure levels and that the effect was more pronounced in women compared to men.
Alexandre Vallée, the study’s lead researcher, highlighted that past studies on the relationship between blood pressure and cannabis use relied on a limited population pool and rarely looked at how cannabis consumption affected the blood pressure of different genders. This time, Vallée and her team sourced data from the UK Biobank, where a whopping 156,959 volunteers provided information on their cannabis use and blood pressure.
The researchers excluded 65,798 individuals who had past cardiovascular events and currently used antidepressants and antihypertensive drugs. They then the measured diastolic and systolic blood pressures of the remaining participants two times and asked them to report their lifetime cannabis use habits via a questionnaire.
Those who admitted to using cannabis a long time ago were still classified as marijuana users while participants who had never used the drugs were used as study controls. The cannabis users were then separated into other groups, based on their level of cannabis use and also whether they were former or current users.
According to the study, heavy lifetime cannabis use was linked to a reduction on both diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure in both genders. Furthermore, the decrease in blood pressure was more pronounced in women compared to men. The researchers also observed that current cannabis users of both genders also exhibited lower blood pressure levels.
However, they noted that while other studies had also shown a stronger relationship between cannabis use and systolic pressure compared to cannabis use and diastolic pressure, they still weren’t completely certain of the relationship between cannabis and blood pressure. In their report, the investigators added that cannabinoid content could play a role in affecting blood pressure, with some previous studies showing that both CBD and THC both induce vasorelaxation and lower blood pressure.
This therapeutic potential of marijuana is making it possible for entities such as India Globalization Capital Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) to focus on developing THC-based formulations for conditions such as chronic pain, which take a toll on millions of Americans each year.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to India Globalization Capital Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/IGC
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer
