Cannabis use linked to higher death rates in people with alcohol-associated hepatitis
People with alcohol-associated hepatitis are more likely to die from the disease if they use cannabis. A large multinational study just published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research is the first to identify active substance use, particularly cannabis use, by patients as an independent predictor of death in patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis. The study recommends integrating…
A multinational study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research has found that active cannabis use by patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis significantly increases their risk of death. This is the first time such a connection has been identified as an independent predictor of mortality in patients with this severe form of liver damage.
The study, which followed 800 hospitalized patients across 13 countries, discovered that active cannabis users had a mortality rate 2.5 times higher than those who did not use cannabis. Even after adjusting for the severity of liver disease, substance use, particularly cannabis use, remained a significant predictor of death. Alcohol-associated hepatitis, caused by excessive alcohol consumption, can rapidly lead to organ failure and death, with almost half of severely affected individuals dying within 90 days.
The global prevalence of alcohol-associated hepatitis is on the rise, particularly among women and younger adults. The study's authors emphasize the importance of integrating substance use assessment and treatment into clinical care for these patients to improve their prognoses.
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