SALEM, MA — Cannabis use appears to be protective against liver disease progression in subjects who frequently consume alcohol, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Liver International.
An international team of researchers from the United States and Canada assessed the relationship between cannabis use and incidences of liver disease in individuals who regularly consumed alcohol.
Investigators reported: “[A]mong alcohol users, individuals who additionally use cannabis showed significantly lower odds of developing alcoholic steatosis (fatty liver disease), steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (the most common type of liver cancer in adults). … Our findings suggest that cannabis use is associated with reduced incidences of liver disease in alcoholics.”
Prior studies have reported that those who use cannabis are also significantly less likely than non-users to be diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Full text of the study, “Cannabis use is associated with reduced prevalence of progressive stages of alcoholic liver disease,” appears in Liver International.
Tags: alcohol-induced liver disease, liver disease, medical marijuana study, studies, study