Patients with inflammatory bowel disease experience significant improvements in quality of life after using cannabis-based medicinal products, according to a study published in Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology.
“Treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remain limited, and cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) provide promise in addressing inflammation and pain”, states the study, conducted by researchers from Kings College London and Imperial College London. “However, long-term data on CBMP efficacy in IBD is scarce.”
With that in mind, the study “examined health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes in IBD patients treated with CBMPs.”
For the study, 116 patients with IBD were identified from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. 94 were male, with a mean age of 39.52 ± 9.12 years. Researchers assessed changes in quality of life using several metrics, including the short IBD questionnaire (SIBDQ), EQ-5D-5L, sleep quality scale (SQS), and generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7).
After 18 months of treatment, significant improvements were observed across all metrics, with 25.86% of patients achieving a minimal clinically important difference in the SIBDQ. Patients with severe baseline anxiety and those receiving higher-than-average THC doses showed greater improvements.
“CBMP treatment was associated with improvement in IBD-specific outcomes in patients and general HRQoL over 18-months”, states the study. However, researchers note that given “causation cannot be inferred.. randomized controlled trials are still required.”
More information on this study can be found on the website of the US National Library of Medicine by clicking here.
