Regular marijuana use can increase your risk of overactive bladder

Regular marijuana use can increase your risk of overactive bladder

A recent one The American Journal of Medicine The aim of the study was to determine the association between self-reported marijuana use and overactive bladder symptoms using information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) database.

Study: Association between marijuana use and overactive bladder (OAB): a cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005 to 2018.Image source: Jan Faukner / Shutterstock.com

Marijuana use in the USA

In recent years, medical and recreational use of marijuana has increased in the United States as it has been decriminalized and legalized in some states.

As of December 2021, medical marijuana is approved in 36 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to treat various health conditions. Additionally, 18 states have legalized recreational marijuana use.

Recent surveys show that in 2020 alone, approximately 49.6 million Americans over the age of 12 reported marijuana use. However, marijuana use remains controversial due to the discrepancy between its medicinal value and the health problems associated with it.

Treating an overactive bladder

Overactive bladder is a chronic condition characterized by urgency, nocturia, and frequency, either with or without incontinence. This condition can significantly affect the quality of life of affected patients.

Various medications have been used to combat the symptoms of overactive bladder, including β3-adrenergic receptor agonists and M-choline receptor blockers. However, these medications are associated with certain side effects and are limited in their therapeutic effectiveness.

Recent studies have focused on whether medical marijuana might be beneficial in treating symptoms of overactive bladder.

Some clinical studies have reported that marijuana extracts alleviate neurogenic and refractory symptoms in multiple sclerosis patients by reducing urge incontinence episodes, frequency, and nocturia while improving incontinence quality of life (I-QOL) and bladder control.

Another study showed that men between the ages of 20 and 59 who regularly used marijuana were less likely to report lower urinary tract symptoms than non-users. However, despite these observations, the effectiveness of marijuana in controlling overactive bladder symptoms in a larger population remains unknown.

About the study

The current study collected data from seven two-year NHANES cycles between 2005 and 2018. Participants aged 20 to 59 years answered both drug use and kidney disease questionnaires for inclusion in the study.

Marijuana use was self-reported during the Mobile Examination Center (MEC) interview, with study participants identifying as either regular or infrequent users. In addition, the questionnaire collected information on the frequency of marijuana use.

Symptoms of overactive bladder were assessed using the Renal Disease-Urology Questionnaire and quantification was performed using the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) questionnaire. Participants with a score of three or more were considered to have an overactive bladder.

Additionally, the participant's gender, age, race, family income-to-poverty ratio (FIPR), annual household income, marital status, and education level were determined. In addition, an analysis of participants' body mass index (BMI), tobacco consumption, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome was performed. Finally, the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation.

Study results

A total of 18,736 samples were used to represent the weighted US population of 123,065,848. About 24% of respondents reported using marijuana regularly during their lifetime. These users were more likely to be thinner, younger, predominantly male, smokers, low-income and poorly educated, non-Hispanic white/black, and unmarried.

Regular marijuana users reported increased urge for urinary incontinence and frequency of nocturia compared to irregular marijuana users. Additionally, regular users were more likely to experience overactive bladder symptoms than infrequent users at all levels of severity.

Overall, the current study shows that regular marijuana users are at higher risk of developing and suffering from severe overactive bladder disorder. Therefore, unless further studies prove otherwise, the use of marijuana in the treatment of overactive bladder symptoms must be limited, especially given the adverse effects of marijuana use.

restrictions

Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study, no temporal or accident differences could be identified. NHANES provided incomplete information about the symptoms of overactive bladder. Additionally, the type and dose of cannabis used by study participants were not identified.

Reference:

• Zhu, S., Wang, Z., Tao, Z., et al. (2022). Zusammenhang zwischen Marihuanakonsum und überaktiver Blase (OAB): eine Querschnittsstudie der National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005 bis 2018. The American Journal of Medicine. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.08.031. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002934322006672.