Anesthesiology, Author Interviews, Cannabis, JAMA, Opiods, Surgical Research, University Texas / 10.07.2023
Cannabis Use Disorder Linked to Higher Costs and More Complications After Surgery
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_60589" align="alignleft" width="160"]
Dr. Potnuru[/caption]
Paul Potnuru, MD
Assistant Professor
Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine
The John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
UTHealth
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The use of cannabis is on the rise in the United States, as it becomes increasingly legally accepted and is viewed as harmless. Furthermore, the potency of cannabis is steadily increasing over time.
There is some evidence from previous studies that compared to non-users, cannabis users require more anesthetics, have higher pain after surgery that requires more opioids, and have an increased risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting.
Given this context of increased usage and potential risks during surgery, we conducted a study to examine the impact of cannabis use on patients undergoing surgery.
Dr. Potnuru[/caption]
Paul Potnuru, MD
Assistant Professor
Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine
The John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
UTHealth
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The use of cannabis is on the rise in the United States, as it becomes increasingly legally accepted and is viewed as harmless. Furthermore, the potency of cannabis is steadily increasing over time.
There is some evidence from previous studies that compared to non-users, cannabis users require more anesthetics, have higher pain after surgery that requires more opioids, and have an increased risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting.
Given this context of increased usage and potential risks during surgery, we conducted a study to examine the impact of cannabis use on patients undergoing surgery.
Dr. Lane[/caption]
Scott D. Lane Ph.D.
McGovern Medical School
Vice Chair For Research
Director Of Neurobehavioral Laboratory
Center For Neurobehavioral Research On Addiction
Director Of Research
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Houston, TX
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Addiction science has made considerable progress in understanding how cocaine and other addictive drugs impair the brain. Over time, cocaine can disrupt brain regions that help us think, plan, solve problems, and exert self-control. These disruptions in brain structure can be seen in neuroimaging studies that reveal impairment in the nerve fibers or white matter (WM) tracts in the central and front parts of the brain. We conducted two systematic meta-analytic reviews of the literature to document the robustness of evidence showing alterations in WM integrity of chronic stimulant users relative to healthy control subjects who did not use cocaine or other drugs of abuse (Beard et al., 2019; Suchting et al., 2020). Importantly, WM impairments negatively predict treatment outcome, meaning individuals with greater levels of WM impairment are less likely to benefit from treatment and more likely to experience deficits in attention, working memory, and impulse control.
We reasoned that pharmacological interventions shown to protect WM integrity may help improve cognition and treatment outcomes in patients recovering from cocaine addiction. Pioglitazone, an approved medication for type 2 diabetes, has been shown to reduce inflammation and mediate protection after traumatic brain injury. The therapeutic potential of pioglitazone has prompted investigation of its role in neurodegenerative conditions, such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke. Similar to these brain diseases and injuries, pioglitazone might effectively protect the brain from the inflammatory damage created by cocaine use.