HomeCannabis MedicineGreen Smoke, Red Flag: Cannabis and the Risk of Orbitopathy and Dermopathy in Thyrotoxicosis

Green Smoke, Red Flag: Cannabis and the Risk of Orbitopathy and Dermopathy in Thyrotoxicosis

June 28, 2023

Cureus. 2023 May 16;15(5):e39092. doi: 10.7759/cureus.39092. eCollection 2023 May.

ABSTRACT

Background The use of cannabis has been associated with an array of multi-systemic physiological effects. However, the medical literature on the potential role of cannabinoids in the management and outcomes of thyrotoxicosis remains scarce. We studied the association between cannabis use and orbitopathy, dermopathy, and the length of hospital stay for thyrotoxicosis admissions. Methods A thorough analysis was conducted on adult hospitalizations in 2020 with a primary discharge diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis, using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). To ensure data completeness and consistency, hospitalizations with missing or incomplete information, as well as those involving patients under 18 years of age, were excluded from the study. The remaining study sample was categorized into two groups based on the presence or absence of cannabis use, as determined by ICD-10-CM/PCS codes. Subtypes of orbitopathy, dermopathy, and potential confounding factors were identified based on previous literature and defined using validated ICD-10-CM/PCS codes. The association between cannabis use and the outcomes was evaluated using multivariate regression analysis. The primary focus was on thyroid orbitopathy, while dermopathy and the average length of hospital stay were considered as secondary outcomes. Results A total of 7,210 hospitalizations for thyrotoxicosis were included in the analysis. Among them, 404 (5.6%) were associated with cannabis use, while 6,806 (94.4%) were non-users serving as controls. Cannabis users were predominantly female (227, 56.3%), which was similar to the control group (5,263, 73%), and they were primarily of Black descent. Notably, the cohort of cannabis users was significantly younger than the control group (37.7 ± 1.3 vs. 63.6 ± 0.3). Upon conducting multivariate regression analysis, it was found that cannabis use was linked to a significant increase in the odds of orbitopathy among patients with thyrotoxicosis (AOR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.12-4.94; P = 0.02). Additionally, a history of tobacco smoking was also correlated with higher odds of orbitopathy in the study (AOR: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.76-1.93; p = 0.04). However, no significant association was observed between cannabis use and the odds of dermopathy (AOR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.51-1.54; p = 0.65) or the average length of hospital stay (IRR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.58-1.46; p = 0.40). Conclusion The study identified a significant association between cannabis use and increased odds of orbitopathy in patients with thyrotoxicosis. Additionally, a history of tobacco smoking was also found to be correlated with augmented odds of orbitopathy.

PMID:37378109 | PMC:PMC10291966 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.39092

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About The Author

Patrick Blanchard MD

Meet Dr. Blanchard Dr. Blanchard’s medical practice is an embodiment of Integrative health which brings conventional and complementary approaches together in a coordinated way. Conveniently located in sunny Florida and over the internet with ValiseMD’s secure HIPPA compliant telXmed servers. Since 1994, patients with a wide range of challenging medical problems have achieved optimum health using the best of natural medicine, judiciously combined with high-tech innovations. Breakthroughs are often achieved even after patients have consulted mainstream specialists and holistic practitioners. Dr. Blanchard is founder and CEO of ValiseMD, Inc. He is board certified in Family Medicine since 1994 and awarded Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians in 2001. He received the ‘Teacher of the Year’ award from the University of Kansas School of Medicine at completion of his residency in Family Medicine. He completed a fellowship at Wake Forest University in the field of vascular neurosonology. He holds a medical patent in the field of Gastroenterology. He holds an unrestricted license to practice medicine and surgery in Florida. He started his medical career as a Emergency Medical Technician, then as a Paramedic and later a Medical Doctor.