"Why cannabis would increase the likelihood of diabetic ketoacidosis is unknown,"
In the results from the latest study from the University of Colorado has found that people with type 1 diabetes may develop complications when using cannabis.
The study showed that Type 1 patients had about twice the risk of ketoacidosis – this develops when blood sugars are elevated for too long and the body produces high levels of ketones. If left untreated it can lead to dyhydration, swelling of the brain, coma and death.
Researchers surveyed 450 patients with Type 1 diabetes in Colorado, where cannabis is legal for medical and recreational use. Overall, 30 per cent of the participants used cannabis.
Previous research suggested that cannabis consumption may have helped with the Type 2 diabetes by reducing blood sugar levels and making the insulin more effective.
More research is needed to understand the different impact of cannabis on people with different types of diabetes, said Dr. Annemarie Hennessy, dean of the School of Medicine at Western Sydney University in Australia.
“In Type 1, individuals don’t make insulin and in Type 2, it mostly doesn’t work well,”
“Why cannabis would increase the likelihood of diabetic ketoacidosis is unknown,”
More research is needed to understand the different impact of cannabis on people with different types of diabetes.
Source – Cbc
Image – StevePb