Study: Cannabis Use Inversely Associated with Hypertension in HCV Patients

MARSEILLE, FRANCE–According to studies reported in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, HCV (Hepatitis C virus)-infected people who use cannabis are less likely than non-users to experience hypertension or other metabolic abnormalities.

In a cohort of 6,364 people with HCV infection, French researchers examined the association between current and/or lifetime cannabis usage and metabolic problems.

According to the researchers, “Both analyses found that past and present cannabis usage were negatively linked with hypertension (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.74 and 0.45).” Additionally, they had lower rates of metabolic diseases including obesity, diabetes, etc. than people who had never used cannabis.

They came to the following conclusion: “Current or previous cannabis usage was related with a lower risk of hypertension and a lower number of metabolic abnormalities in a large cohort of persons with chronic HCV infection residing in France. Future studies should investigate the biological processes behind these conceivable advantages of cannabis use and determine whether they result in a decrease in mortality in this cohort.

Cannabis use has been linked to lower incidence of diabetes and fatty liver disease in people with Hep-C infection, according to earlier studies. Other research have repeatedly found a connection between cannabis use and lower obesity rates.