medwireNews: Findings from the T1D Exchange clinic registry suggest a more than twofold increased risk for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in people who are moderate users of cannabis.
The 61 individuals with a cannabis score greater than 4 on the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test were younger than the 871 who used cannabis less often or not at all. They were also more likely to be male, less educated, younger at type 1 diabetes diagnosis, less likely to use continuous glucose monitoring, and to have a higher glycated hemoglobin level.
After accounting for age, sex, and glycated hemoglobin level, moderate cannabis users were a significant 2.5-fold more likely than lighter or nonusers to have been admitted to hospital with DKA within the previous 12 months.
Gregory Kinney (University of Colorado, Aurora, USA) and co-researchers say that cannabis use could contribute to DKA risk through mechanisms including its effect on gastric motility, on appetite, and on users’ perceptions of hypoglycemia.
They say that “this potentially problematic aspect of cannabis use should be assessed in patients with type 1 diabetes,” and advise doctors to discuss its possible effects on glycemic control with their patients who use the drug.
The findings are published in Diabetes Care.
medwireNews is an independent medical news service provided by Springer Healthcare. © 2019 Springer Healthcare part of the Springer Nature group