Medical Cannabis Safe, Effective for Neurologic Symptoms in the Elderly
By Caroline Cassels – May 6th 2019 - Medscape
The findings were presented at the American
Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2019 Annual
Meeting.
Promising Findings
Estimates from the Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention show that
approximately 80% of older adults in the
United States have at least one chronic
condition.
In addition, it is estimated that 2.1 million
Americans use medical cannabis.
To evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of
medical cannabis in an elderly population, the
investigators conducted a retrospective chart
review of patients aged 75 years or older who
were attending a neurologic outpatient clinic.
PHILADELPHIA — Medical cannabis may
be safe and effective in the treatment of a wide
range of chronic symptoms related to various
neurologic illnesses in elderly patients, early
research suggests.
In a preliminary study, investigators at the
Dent Neurologic Institute in Buffalo, New
York, found that the drug provided elderly
patients relief from chronic pain, sleep
disorders, and anxiety related to diseases such
as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson
disease, neuropathy, spinal cord damage, and
multiple sclerosis.
"Our findings show that medical marijuana is
well-tolerated in people age 75 and older and
may improve symptoms like chronic pain and
anxiety," study investigator Laszlo Mechtler,
MD, said in a release.
"With legalisation in many states, medical
marijuana has become a popular treatment
option among people with chronic diseases
and disorders, yet there is limited research,
especially in older people," he added.
The study included 204 patients (129 women
and 75 men) enrolled in New York State's
Medical Marijuana Program.
The average age of the participants was 81.
The patients took tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), the main
active ingredients in cannabis, in various
ratios for an average of 4 months and had
regular follow-up visits.
Medical cannabis was taken by mouth as a
liquid extract tincture, capsule, or via an
electronic vaporiser.
Results of the retrospective study showed that
69% of participants experienced some
symptom relief.
The most common conditions that improved
were pain, for which 49% of patients
experienced relief; sleep symptoms, for which
18% experienced relief; neuropathy, for
which 15% experienced improvement; and
anxiety, for which 10%
experienced relief.