Tag: iran

According to the results of a peer-reviewed analysis published in October 2023, an estimated 654 million people worldwide suffer from osteoarthritis knee pain, with 5% of all primary care visits in adults being related to knee pain.

The condition can develop for various reasons, with sports-related injuries being a very common contributing factor. Treating the condition typically involves the use of pharmaceutical painkillers, and in some cases, surgery.

A team of researchers in Iran recently conducted a clinical trial involving osteoarthritis knee pain patients and the topical application of hemp seed oil, with the results of the trial indicating that the therapy was effective. Below is more information about the clinical trial and its results via a news release from NORML:

Rafsanjan, Iran: The daily topical application of hemp seed oil improves osteoarthritic knee pain, according to placebo-controlled clinical trial data published in the journal Pain Management Nursing.

Iranian investigators assessed the efficacy of cold-pressed hemp seed oil versus either placebo or the NSAID diclofenac (aka Voltaren) in 90 patients with osteoarthritic knee pain and stiffness. Patients enrolled in the trial were between the ages of 45 and 70 years old. Study participants were assessed at baseline and again at four weeks and at eight weeks.

Researchers reported that the topical application of hemp seed oil provided therapeutic effects similar to those of diclofenac and superior to those of the placebo. Investigators reported that the oil was “safe and well tolerated.”

The study’s authors concluded: “This randomized controlled trial found that the daily application of topical hemp seed oil improved knee pain, physical function, and perceived knee stiffness. … Topical herbal compounds may have a role in the treatment of painful chronic conditions, such as knee OA [osteoarthritis], to reduce the systemic adverse effects of oral drugs.”

Full text of the study, “Effect of topical hemp (cannabis sativa) seed oil on knee osteoarthritis: A randomized double-blind controlled trial,” appears in Pain Management Nursing.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the biggest health issues facing the planet today. Researchers estimated that as of 2017, over 460 million patients were affected by type 2 diabetes, which corresponds to about 6.28% of the world’s population.

According to the same researchers, “Over 1 million deaths per year can be attributed to diabetes alone, making it the ninth leading cause of mortality.” The problem is increasing year over year, particularly in Western Europe, and gender distribution of the condition is equal.

It goes without saying that lowering a person’s risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is very important. Researchers in Iran recently conducted a meta-analysis and concluded that cannabis consumers possess a lowered risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Tabriz, Iran: Adults with a history of cannabis use are less likely than non-consumers to develop type 2 diabetes, according to data published in the journal Phytotherapy Research. A team of Iranian investigators performed a meta-analysis of the relevant literature, including 11 surveys and four cohorts consisting of more than 478,000 subjects. They reported, “[T]he odds of developing T2DM [type 2 diabetes] in individuals exposed to cannabis was 0.48 times lower than in those without cannabis exposure.”

Authors speculated that cannabis may possess “protective effects” against the development of diabetes, but they cautioned against drawing any definitive conclusions absent additional studies.

“To our knowledge, our meta-analysis presents the … most up-to-date evidence on the association between cannabis consumption and T2DM,” they concluded. “Given the rising trend of cannabis consumption, and legalization of cannabis consumption there is an increasing need to design prospective longitudinal randomized studies investigating the honest effects of cannabis consumption and providing practical guidelines to manage cannabis usage.”

Several prior observational studies have identified a correlation between cannabis use and lower odds of obesity and adult-onset diabetes, while clinical trial data has shown that the administration of THCV is associated with improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetics. Placebo-controlled trial data published earlier this year reported that the use of plant-derived cannabinoid extracts significantly improves blood sugar and cholesterol levels in diabetic subjects.

Full text of the study, “Association between cannabis use and risk of diabetes mellitus type 2: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” appears in Phytotherapy Research. Additional information on cannabinoids and diabetes is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

Type 2 diabetes is a health condition involving a problem with the way the human body regulates and uses sugar/glucose as fuel. Type 2 diabetes differs from type 1 diabetes in that the latter is a genetic condition that is typically detected early in life, whereas the former is considered to be a lifestyle-related condition that develops over time.

As of 2020, it was estimated that over ‘462 million individuals are affected by type 2 diabetes, corresponding to 6.28% of the world’s population.’ Common treatments and strategies for combating type 2 diabetes include eating healthier, exercising, losing weight, insulin therapy, and blood sugar monitoring.

Researchers in Iran recently conducted a study involving a sublingual spray containing CBD and THC to see if it helped patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Below is more information about the study via a news release from NORML:

Tehran, Iran: Diabetic patients administered a sublingual spray containing CBD and THC show improvements in their blood sugar and cholesterol levels, according to placebo-controlled data published in the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research.

A team of Iranian investigators evaluated the efficacy of a proprietary formulation of plant-derived CBD/THC compared to placebo in a cohort of 50 patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients utilized the spray twice daily for eight weeks. The sublingual formulation contained a ten-to-one ratio of CBD to THC.

Compared to placebo, cannabinoid therapy was associated with a “statistically significant decline in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, FBS [fasting blood glucose levels], Hb [hemoglobin] A1C, and insulin secretion … at the end of the 8-week treatment period. … [T]here were no statistically significant differences in reported adverse effects between the two groups.”

Researchers concluded: “In the present study, we demonstrated that sublingual administration of [a CBD/THC] spray, … twice daily through an eight-week treatment period could effectively improve the patient’s lipid profile and glucose tolerance. … Based on these observations, the combination of CBD/Δ9-THC regimen could be a new therapeutic regimen for controlling the lipid profile and glycemic state of DM [type 2 diabetic] patients.”

Clinical trial data has previously shown that the administration of the cannabinoid THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin) decreases fasting glucose levels in type 2 diabetics.

Population-based studies have reported that cannabis consumers typically possess lower BMI and other favorable indices related to diabetic control. Observational studies have also shown that the past use of cannabis is significantly associated with lower odds of diabetes in adults.

Full text of the study, “A phase I randomized, placebo-controlled study on efficacy and safety profile of a sublingually administered cannabidiol/delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (10: 1) regimen in diabetes Type 2 patients,” appears in the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. Additional information on cannabinoids and diabetes is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.