People who use cannabis have a 3.7 times greater risk of type 2 diabetes compared to the general population, Boston Medical Center researchers reported.

Weed might nearly quadruple a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study says.

People who use cannabis have a 3.7 times greater risk of type 2 diabetes compared to the general population, researchers reported Monday at a meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna.

"As cannabis becomes more widely available and socially accepted, and legalized in various jurisdictions, it is essential to understand its potential health risks," said lead researcher Dr. Ibrahim Kamel, chief resident at Boston Medical Center.

"These new sights from reliable real-world evidence highlight the importance of integrating diabetes risk awareness into substance use disorder treatment and counseling, as well as the need for health care professional to routinely talk to patients about cannabis use so that they can understand their overall diabetes risk and potential need for metabolic monitoring," Kamel said in a news release.

For the new study, researchers analyzed data pooled from 54 health care organizations across the U.S. and Europe.

The team identified nearly 97,000 people between 18 and 50 years of age whose medical records reflected cannabis use ranging from occasional use to dependence.

They compared the weed users to more than 4.1 healthy people with no record of substance use. Both groups were followed for five years.

New cases of diabetes were significantly higher among cannabis users, with 1,937 cases compared to 518 in the healthy group.

Statistics showed the marijuana users at nearly four times greater risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers reported.

It might be that weed use affects a person's blood sugar levels or insulin resistance, researchers said, or that people on cannabis eat in unhealthy ways that increase their diabetes risk.

However, researchers noted that the study cannot prove that weed use causes diabetes, but only shows an association between the two.

More research is needed to confirm these findings and better understand the relationship between cannabis and diabetes, including how weed might alter the effects of insulin in the body, researchers said.

Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the health effects of marijuana.

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