[HealthDay News] — A recent study published on April 2 in PLOS ONE suggests that prescribing medical cannabis to patients with chronic health conditions may significantly improve health-related quality of life (HRQL), along with specific symptoms such as pain, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
Conducted by Margaret-Ann Tait and her colleagues at the University of Sydney, the research analyzed data from 2,353 patients who were prescribed medical cannabis and had follow-up data available. The study aimed to evaluate changes in overall HRQL as well as patient-reported outcomes related to pain, fatigue, sleep, anxiety, depression, and motor function.
The most common chronic conditions treated with medical cannabis among participants were musculoskeletal pain (38.1 percent), neuropathic pain (23.2 percent), insomnia (23.2 percent), anxiety (22.1 percent), and mixed depressive and anxiety disorder (11.2 percent). The results indicated clinically meaningful improvements in HRQL, fatigue, and sleep disturbance across the cohort.
Specifically, patients with chronic pain experienced significant reductions in pain intensity and pain interference, both of which were reported by the patients themselves. Among those diagnosed with mental health conditions, there were notable improvements in anxiety and depression scores as measured by the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. However, no meaningful improvements were observed in motor function among patients with movement disorders.
The authors noted that improvements in overall HRQL, fatigue, and sleep disturbance were both statistically significant and clinically meaningful and were sustained over a 12-month period. In addition, patients dealing with anxiety, depression, insomnia, and chronic pain reported consistent symptom relief over time while using medical cannabis.
“This study demonstrates that medical cannabis may offer long-term benefits for patients suffering from chronic health conditions,” the researchers wrote. Despite these promising findings, they also emphasized the need for further research, particularly due to the observational nature of the study.
It is worth noting that several authors disclosed affiliations or ties to organizations with interests in medical cannabis, which may be relevant in interpreting the findings.