The study had a very specific aim: to understand how herbal medical cannabis affects the day-to-day functioning of older adults. Now, you might be wondering, why older adults?
Well, as people age, they often suffer from chronic pain and other conditions that can severely affect their quality of life. The researchers wanted to know if cannabis could have a significant benefit for people of this age group.
The study was conducted in a specialized clinic that focuses on geriatric care, meaning it’s a place where medical professionals are experts in treating older people.
It was observational, meaning the researchers simply observed the outcomes without intervening. It was also prospective, which means they followed the patients over time, specifically for six months after they started using cannabis.
The study had to be stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but not before gathering some valuable data.
The cannabis used in the study was supplied by pharmacies in Israel and was fully regulated, ensuring that the THC and CBD content was known and consistent.
Pain Relief and Daily Functioning – The Big Takeaways
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty. The study followed 119 older adults, with the average age being around 79. The most common reason these individuals turned to cannabis was to manage non-specific chronic pain. Imagine having a constant ache that just won’t go away; that’s what these people were dealing with.
Now, here’s the exciting part: a whopping 86.4% of the participants reported feeling better in some way after using cannabis. When it comes to pain relief, the study used a visual analog scale, which is basically a fancy term for a sliding scale from 0 to 10 that measures pain levels. The average reduction in pain was 3.3 points on this scale, which is a significant drop.
But that’s not all. Over half of the participants were able to stop using at least one other medication they were on, and nearly a quarter stopped using opioid painkillers. That’s huge!
What Are ADL and IADL, and Why Do They Matter?
You might have come across the terms ADL and IADL in the study and wondered what they mean. ADL stands for Activities of Daily Living, and IADL stands for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living.
Think of ADL as the basic stuff you need to do to get through the day, like eating, bathing, and dressing yourself. IADL, on the other hand, are tasks that aren’t essential for basic survival but are important for living independently, like cooking, shopping, and managing finances.
The study found that cannabis use was associated with improvements in IADL. In simpler terms, cannabis helped older adults do things that make them more independent, like being able to cook their own meals or go shopping. However, it didn’t make a significant difference in their ability to perform basic tasks like eating or bathing.
Is Cannabis Use Risky for Older Adults?
Now, let’s talk about the potential downsides. In any medical treatment, it’s crucial to weigh the benefits against the risks.
In this study, about 36% of the participants experienced some adverse effects from using cannabis.
However, only a small fraction considered these effects to be severe, and an even smaller number needed medical care as a result. Two participants passed away during the study, but it’s important to note that their deaths were not directly linked to cannabis use.
Overall, the study suggests that cannabis has a relatively good safety profile, especially when you consider that less than 10% of the participants experienced severe adverse effects.
What Does This Mean for Geriatric Care?
The findings of this study are a big deal because they add to the growing body of evidence that cannabis has real potential in the field of geriatric care.
It could revolutionize how we manage pain and improve the quality of life for older adults. But remember, this study is just a starting point.
It has its limitations, like the fact that it was observational and didn’t have a control group for comparison. Future research could focus on more rigorous study designs to establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between cannabis use and its benefits.
Would your parents or grandparents try cannabis?
