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Metabolic syndrome in people with a psychotic illness: is cannabis protective?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 March 2016

A. Waterreus ,
P. Di Prinzio ,
G. F. Watts ,
D. Castle ,
C. Galletly  and
V. A. Morgan
A. Waterreus*
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Research Unit, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
P. Di Prinzio
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Research Unit, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
G. F. Watts
Affiliation:
Cardiometabolic Clinic, Centre for Cardiovascular Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital & School of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
D. Castle
Affiliation:
St. Vincent's Hospital & Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
C. Galletly
Affiliation:
University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
V. A. Morgan
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Research Unit, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
*
*Address for correspondence: A. Waterreus, Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Research Unit, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Level 3 MRF Building, rear 50 Murray Street, Perth, WA 6000, Australia. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Rates of the metabolic syndrome in people with psychotic illness are high. Emerging evidence suggests that cannabis use may have a positive impact on cardiometabolic risk factors in the general population, but little is known about its impact for people with psychotic illness. Our aim was to investigate whether the rate of the metabolic syndrome in people with psychotic illness was associated with frequency of cannabis use.

Method

The 2010 Australian psychosis survey used a two-phase design to randomly select a nationally representative sample of 1825 adults with psychotic illness for interview and physical assessment. This study is based on 1813 participants who provided data on cannabis use. Multiple logistic regression was used to model the influence of frequency of cannabis use on the metabolic syndrome, adjusting for potential covariates including antipsychotic medication use, smoking, alcohol use and cognitive function.

Results

One-third (33.0%) of participants had used cannabis in the past year. The proportion of non-users, occasional users and frequent users with the metabolic syndrome was 63.0, 51.7 and 43.5%, respectively (p < 0.001). In unadjusted analyses, both occasional use and frequent cannabis use were associated with significantly lower odds of the metabolic syndrome. In the adjusted analyses, the association between the metabolic syndrome and frequent cannabis use remained significant [odds ratio = 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39–0.80], but not the association with occasional use (odds ratio = 0.75, 95% CI 0.49–1.13).

Conclusions

While cannabis use may be detrimental for mental health, these data suggest that it may also have a cardiometabolic protective effect. Further investigation is required to understand the mechanism underlying this paradoxical finding.

Keywords

Cannabiscardiometabolic riskmetabolic syndromepsychosis
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 46 , Issue 8 , June 2016 , pp. 1651 - 1662
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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