COPD and COVID-19 by Cannabis Use

Cannabis is the most widely used psychotropic substance worldwide and is the second most commonly smoked substance after tobacco.

Tobacco use is associated with reduced air flow rate and lung volume; however, this association is not observed with cannabis use. In fact, one 2012 study found no association to exist between occasional and minimal cumulative cannabis usage and poor pulmonary function.

To determine the different effects of cannabis and/or tobacco, it is crucial to know the quantity of how much was smoked. Those who frequently use tobacco will typically smoke between ten and twenty cigarettes each day, whereas the average cannabis user will smoke two to three times per month.

Many people first try cannabis in their late teens or early twenties, with some continuing to use cannabis for several years at modest doses. Since heavy cannabis users were comparatively uncommon in the study population, accurate estimates of the consequences of excessive usage were not available in the aforementioned 2012 study, despite the fact that heavy exposure to cannabis may harm the lungs.

In a recent study, researchers evaluated the effects of smoking cannabis on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test positivity, as well as potential risk factors associated with cannabis-induced lung damage and COVID-19.

Approximately 500,000 men and women participated in the United Kingdom Biobank (UKB), which is a sizable prospective observational study that was conducted between 2006 and 2010. UKB participants were selected from 22 centers throughout England, Wales, and Scotland and are still being longitudinally monitored to record any subsequent health occurrences.

Study participants were asked several questions upon their enrolment in the UKB. For example, participants were asked whether a doctor had ever informed them that they have a certain health condition, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


View more: https://www.tridhascholars.org/press-release/impact-on-copd-and-covid-19-by-cannabis-use.php 

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