Studies suggest that cannabis consumption can regulate blood flow
Cannabis use may help lower high blood pressure in older adults, according to research data recently published in the journal Nature: Scientific Reports. A team of scientists led by a French researcher conducted a study on cannabis use in older adults with hypertension. The team focused on monitoring the participants’ blood pressure, heart rate, and metabolic parameters.
Whether cannabis use is recent or lifelong, the plant appears to be associated with lower blood pressure levels. To reach this conclusion, the European expert analyzed the relationship between cannabis use and blood pressure in a population-based cohort of more than 91,000 subjects.
“In adjusted covariates models, lifetime heavy cannabis use was associated with a decrease in both SBP [systolic blood pressure], DBP [diastolic blood pressure], and PP [pulse pressure] in both genders, but with a higher effect among women,” the author reported. “Current cannabis use was associated with lower SBP levels in men and in women. The same results were observed for DBP and PP.”
The study appears to be in line with research conducted a couple of years ago by scientists at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. The findings show that medical marijuana use significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure over 24 hours.
The lowest point of the measurements was recorded just after three hours of oral delivery of cannabis in the form of oil extract or smoked. However, the most significant reduction occurred during the night.
Its effects were also evident during the day, although not as potent. The researchers started from the premise that cannabis decreases pain. This compound is generally formulated as an analgesic, so the team related pain relief to blood pressure.