Here’s a summary of the Gastroenterology Advisor article “Cannabis Use Linked to Better Hepatic Outcomes, Worse Cardiovascular Outcomes in MASLD” —
Key Findings from the Study
- Population studied: >3.3 million adults hospitalized with MASLD between 2016 and 2020 (52,315 with cannabis use vs ~3.33 M non-users).
Hepatic Outcomes
- Lower in-hospital mortality in cannabis users vs non-users (2.2% vs 4.5%). Cannabis use was associated with a 30% reduction in adjusted odds of dying in hospital.
- Reduced likelihood of cirrhosis in cannabis users after adjustment.
- Lower rates of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among cannabis users in adjusted models.
- No statistically significant adjusted association with heart failure was found.
Cardiovascular Outcomes
- Higher odds of myocardial infarction (MI) after adjustment (adjusted odds ratio ~1.42).
- Increased odds of stroke in cannabis users after adjustment (adjusted odds ratio ~1.53).
Key Notes
- The authors do not recommend cannabis use as therapy for MASLD, but suggest the endocannabinoid system might influence liver disease progression.
- These findings are associations observationally derived from hospitalization data; causation cannot be determined.
- Cannabis-using patients differed in other characteristics (e.g., higher tobacco and opioid use), which may influence outcomes.
The Net Net
Other evidence links cannabis use generally with increased cardiovascular risks (e.g., MI, stroke, adverse events), even outside liver disease populations, though studies vary in strength and design.