Frequent Cannabis consumption associated with Increased risk of asthma

A recent study based on data from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) explored the increasing prevalence of cannabis use among adolescents and adults in the US. The study published in the Preventive Medicine Journal assessed the association between cannabis use frequency and asthma prevalence and provide significant insights into the potential health implications of cannabis consumption.

The national representative sample of US individuals aged 12 and older observed a notable rise in cannabis use by prompting further studies to investigate its correlation with asthma rates. The key findings indicate a concerning trend in individuals who reported cannabis use in the past 30 days in expressing a higher prevalence of current asthma when compared to non-users.

The data revealed that current asthma was more prevalent with rates standing at 9.8% in individuals reporting cannabis use when compared to 7.4% among non-users. This study uncovered a dose-response relationship between the frequency of cannabis use and asthma prevalence that suggests increased cannabis consumption and risk of asthma.

The individuals who reported more frequent cannabis use in the range of 20-30 days per month showed significantly higher risk of having asthma when compared to non-users. Similar trends were noticed among the individuals who reported using blunts (cannabis smoked in a hollowed-out cigar), with higher frequencies of use correlating with increased asthma prevalence.

These findings explore the importance of understanding the health consequences linked with cannabis use, especially among adolescents and adults in the US. Further research is imperative to elucidate the underlying mechanisms that drives this association and improve comprehensive public health strategies to address the increased rates of cannabis use and its potential impact on respiratory health.

Reference:

Goodwin, R. D., Zhou, C., Silverman, K. D., Rastogi, D., & Borrell, L. N. (2024). Cannabis use and the prevalence of current asthma among adolescents and adults in the United States. In Preventive Medicine (Vol. 179, p. 107827). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107827