New research suggests that smoking marijuana with cigarettes can cause more lung damage than cigarettes alone.
A study published Tuesday The peer-reviewed journal Radiology showed that marijuana use may be associated with an increased risk of emphysema smoke only. This trend is made more worrying by the fact that cannabis users were, on average, younger than cigarette smokers, mostly under the age of 50.
Emphysema develops over time because lung tissue is damaged and air sacs rupture, trapping air in the damaged tissue and preventing oxygen from moving through the bloodstream. It can cause shortness of breath, cough with mucus, wheezing, and chest tightness, and is irreversible once it develops.
Despite being one of the most preventable respiratory diseases, more than 3 million people in the United States are diagnosed with the potentially fatal disease. According to the American Lung Association.
Researchers from the Radiology Department at Ottawa Hospital found that 75% of study participants who may have smoked marijuana with cigarettes developed emphysema. Only 5% of completion Diagnosed as a non-smoker.
In addition, paraseptal emphysema, a specific subtype of disease that affects the outermost part of the lungs, was found to be more common among marijuana smokers compared to smokers only. rice field.
The study included 56 marijuana smokers (50 of whom were also current or former smokers), 33 smokers, and 57 nonsmokers taken between 2005 and 2020. reviewed the chest scan
However, the small study of 150 participants based in Canada had limitations. Researchers have not collected enough data on how subjects consumed cannabis, how often they smoked, or how long they maintained the habit. How you do it makes a difference. Blunt, for example, has cigarettes in its wrap.
Cigarette-only smokers who participated in the study were found to have consumed at least one pack (20 cigarettes) per day over the past 25 years.
The researchers also did not describe any other previous health conditions.
“There is a general perception that marijuana is safe, or safer than tobacco. But this study raises concerns that this may not be true,” said the study’s lead author. Dr. Giselle Reba, Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Ottawa, said. in a statement to Agence France-Presse.
“The American Lung Association says the only thing that goes into your lungs is clean air, so if you breathe anything in, it can be toxic to your lungs. reba said in a CNN report.
“There’s definitely concern that we’ll see another generation of lung disease associated with these behaviors,” said Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. United States of America today.
Researchers point out that marijuana and tobacco are smoked differently, with marijuana smokers typically inhaling deeper and longer. Cigarettes are generally inhaled with a quick exhaleTraditional cigarettes also have filters that can catch certain harmful toxins.
Due to limitations, experts admit the studies are not fully comparable. Marijuana and Tobacco Safetybut agreed that the findings suggest that more research needs to be done as drug use is on the rise. increasingly popular It should be factored into future research.
