Marijuana Use and Prediabetes Linked?
A recent study reported in Diabetologia entitled: Marijuana use and risk of prediabetes and diabetes by middle adulthood: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, showed that both current and former marijuana users have a higher chance of developing “prediabetes.” Prediabetes does not indicate that an individual has diabetes, but rather is experiencing poor blood sugar control. The researchers (Bancks et. al) report that due to the rise in studying the effects of marijuana in recent years, many possible adverse long-term side effects have been seen with marijuana use.
The researcher’s data from the study indicated that 65 percent of current marijuana users were at great risk of developing prediabetes. Previous long-term users were at a 45 percent risk level. Although these rates are high for prediabetes, there was no direct link between marijuana and actual diabetes. Interestingly, those who reported using marijuana 100 times or more in the course of their lifetime had a greater risk for prediabetes than those who had never used marijuana.
The study also looked at other aspects that could be affecting the development of prediabetes, including race, age and weight since those factors contribute to the development of diabetes itself. The researchers also concluded that future studies on topics related to marijuana use and overall metabolic health would be helpful and noted that Marijuana use in young adulthood is associated with an increased risk of prediabetes by middle adulthood, but not with the development of diabetes by this age.