Cannabis Users with First-Episode Psychosis Had Lower Metabolic Syndrome Rates | Research

The takeaway

Among 404 first-episode psychosis patients, those who used cannabis at any point during the study were less likely to develop metabolic syndrome and tended to have better triglyceride and HDL cholesterol profiles.

Psychiatrists, metabolic health researchers, antipsychotic prescribers

Cannabis users with first-episode psychosis were less likely to develop metabolic syndrome

What the researchers found

In the RAISE-ETP program (n=404), cannabis users had similar baseline metabolic syndrome rates as abstainers but showed lower triglycerides, elevated HDL, and were less likely to develop metabolic syndrome over the study period.

Why it matters

Metabolic syndrome is a major concern for psychosis patients on antipsychotics. If cannabis use is associated with lower metabolic risk, understanding the mechanism could lead to new approaches for managing medication side effects.

The numbers in context

404 participants in RAISE-ETP; similar baseline metabolic syndrome rates; cannabis users had lower triglycerides and higher HDL; cannabis users less likely to develop metabolic syndrome over study period.

How the study worked

Retrospective analysis of 404 participants in the Recovery After Initial Schizophrenia Episode-Early Treatment Program (RAISE-ETP), using multiple logistic regression to examine the association between cannabis use and metabolic syndrome.

What this study cannot tell us

Retrospective design; potential confounders including diet, exercise, and medication adherence; cannabis use was not randomized; cannot determine causal mechanism.

How to read the evidence

Retrospective analysis of a well-characterized treatment program, limited by observational design and potential confounders.

When this study was published

Data from the RAISE-ETP program.

The bigger picture

This finding adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting cannabis may have metabolic effects that counteract some of the weight and lipid changes caused by antipsychotic medications, though the clinical implications remain unclear.

Questions still open

Is the metabolic benefit due to cannabis itself or to behavioral differences among users? Could cannabinoid-based interventions help manage antipsychotic-related metabolic syndrome?

Common questions

Does cannabis protect against metabolic syndrome?

In this study of first-episode psychosis patients, cannabis users had lower triglycerides, higher HDL, and lower rates of metabolic syndrome. However, the study cannot prove cannabis caused these benefits, and other factors may explain the association.

What is metabolic syndrome?

A cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat, and abnormal cholesterol that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It is a common side effect of antipsychotic medications.

Read the original research

Cannabis use and metabolic syndrome among clients with first episode psychosis.

Early intervention in psychiatry, 15(4), 1051-1055

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Stiles, Erik; Alcover, Karl C; Stiles, Bryan; Oluwoye, Oladunni; McDonell, Michael G. (2021). Cannabis use and metabolic syndrome among clients with first episode psychosis.. Early intervention in psychiatry, 15(4), 1051-1055. https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.13030