According to a new study published by the journal PLOS One, adults with a history of marijuana use are less likely than non-users to be diagnosed with liver steatosis (aka fatty liver disease).
The study “aimed to assess the association between marijuana use and liver steatosis and fibrosis in the general United States population utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
For the study a total of 2622 participants were included. The proportions of never marijuana users, past users, and current users were 45.9%, 35.0%, and 19.1%, respectively.
“Compared to never marijuana users, past and current users had a lower prevalence of liver steatosis”, states the study. “In the alcohol intake-adjusted model, current marijuana use was an independent predictor of a low prevalence of liver steatosis in people with non-heavy alcohol intake. The association between marijuana use and liver fibrosis was not significant in univariate and multivariate regression.”
Researchers conclude: “In this nationally representative sample, current marijuana use is inversely associated with steatosis. The pathophysiology is unclear and needs further study. No significant association was established between marijuana use and liver fibrosis, irrespective of past or current use.”
The full text of the study can be found by clicking here.
