São Paulo, Brazil: CBD administration reduces blood pressure levels, according to a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials published in the Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy.
Brazilian researchers reviewed data from four clinical trials involving 104 participants. Study results “demonstrated a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure after acute cannabidiol.” CBD dosing also resulted in reductions in diastolic blood pressure, although these changes were not statistically significant.
“These findings suggest that cannabidiol may benefit blood pressure control, specifically with prolonged use in hypertensive patients,” the study’s authors concluded. “But further high-quality randomized controlled trials are required to approve its efficacy, safety, and clinical applicability in cardiovascular care.”
Longitudinal data published earlier this month concluded that the cumulative lifetime cannabis use is not associated with an elevated risk of high blood pressure.
A prior analysis of over 91,000 French adults, published in the journal Nature: Scientific Reports, reported that both current and lifetime cannabis use is associated with lower blood pressure. Another study, published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine, noted that the use of medical cannabis products is associated with decreases in hypertension among elderly subjects.
Full text of the study, “Systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effects of cannabidiol on blood pressure: Examination of randomized double-blind and triple-blind placebo trials,” appears in the Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy.
Case Report: Vaporized Cannabis Reduces Severity of Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms
New York, NY: Cannabis use is associated with less severe symptoms in a patient undergoing naloxone-precipitated withdrawal, according to a case report published in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Researchers affiliated with Columbia University in New York and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore assessed the effects of vaporized cannabis pre-treatment on naloxone-precipitated opioid withdrawal in a 52-year-old patient. The patient had a history of heroin and fentanyl use. Investigators assessed the patient’s withdrawal symptoms following the use of naloxone, with and without using cannabis.
They reported that vaporized cannabis reduced the severity and onset of opioid withdrawal symptoms in a dose-dependent manner. Specifically, the patient required “three rescue doses of morphine” when naloxone was administered alone, but he needed only “a single rescue dose” when cannabis use preceded naloxone treatment.
“These results support the continued investigation into combined naloxone + cannabinoid formulations as overdose reversal agents for improved tolerability,” the study’s authors concluded.
Their conclusion is consistent with survey data reporting that opioid-dependent subjects frequently acknowledge consuming cannabis to mitigate drug cravings and reduce withdrawal symptoms.
Full text of the study, “The effects of vaporized cannabis on the severity of naloxone-precipitated opioid withdrawal,” appears in Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Clinical Trial: CBD-Infused Gel Improves Sleep Quality, Reduces Migraine-Related Disability in Patients With Bruxism-Associated Pain
Katowice, Poland: Patients with bruxism (teeth grinding or clenching) and other temporomandibular disorders experience improved sleep and fewer migraines following the topical application of CBD, according to data from a placebo-controlled clinical trial published in the journal Pharmaceuticals.
Polish investigators assessed the topical application of CBD-infused gel versus placebo in 60 patients with bruxism-associated muscle pain. Twenty patients received a placebo, 20 patients received a gel containing five percent CBD, and 20 patients received a gel containing 10 percent CBD. Participants administered the gels daily for 30 days.
Both CBD treatment groups “demonstrated statistically significant improvements in PSQI [Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index] and MIDAS [the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale] scores compared to the control group.” Both treatment groups experienced similar improvements, regardless of CBD concentration. No serious adverse events or treatment-related complications were reported during the study period.
“This study demonstrates that topical application of cannabidiol (CBD) gel, at both five percent and 10 percent concentrations, significantly improves sleep quality and reduces migraine-related disability in patients with bruxism-associated muscular pain. These effects were observed alongside reductions in muscle tension and pain, suggesting a broader therapeutic impact of CBD beyond localized symptom relief,” the study’s authors concluded. “The findings support the use of topical CBD as a well-tolerated, non-invasive adjunct in the multimodal management of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), especially in patients experiencing comorbid sleep and headache disturbances.”
The transdermal delivery of CBD has previously been associated with reduced levels of lower back and leg pain in patients with spinal stenosis, as well as with improved outcomes in patients with hand osteoarthritis.
Full text of the study, “Expanding the therapeutic profile of topical cannabidiol in temporomandibular disorders: Effects of sleep quality and migraine disability in patients with bruxism-associated muscle pain,” appears in Pharmaceuticals.
Analysis: Alcohol Use, but Not Cannabis, Associated With Elevated Risk of Unwanted Pregnancies
San Francisco, CA: Alcohol use, but not cannabis use, is linked to significantly higher rates of unwanted pregnancies, according to data published in the journal Addiction.
Researchers affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco tracked outcomes in a cohort of 936 women who expressed a strong desire not to become pregnant.
Those who acknowledged drinking heavily were 50 percent more likely to become pregnant over the course of the study (13.5 months) as compared to those who drank little or no alcohol. By contrast, those participants who used cannabis did not possess an elevated pregnancy risk compared to non-consumers.
“Heavy drinking, but not cannabis use or other drug use, appears to be associated with elevated pregnancy risk among those who most desire to avoid pregnancy,” the study’s authors concluded. “This study is continuing to follow participants through pregnancy, which will enable further examination of whether people with less desired pregnancies are more likely than those with more desired pregnancies to continue alcohol and/or drug use during pregnancy.”
Full text of the study, “Alcohol and drug use and attainment of pregnancy preferences in the southwestern United States: A longitudinal cohort study,” appears in Addiction.
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