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Effect of recreational cannabis use on bone mineral density: a systematic review

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Abstract

The recreational use of cannabis products has risen considerably worldwide over the past decade. As the cannabis legal market grows, a critical challenge has been to make substantiated claims about the benefits and adverse health problems triggered by cannabis exposure. Despite accumulating evidence from animal studies demonstrating the role of cannabinoids on bone metabolism, there are conflicting results in clinical literature regarding their effects on bone health outcomes.

We undertook a systematic review to assess the evidence for the safety of cannabis use on bone health. We searched the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to March 2023 for studies evaluating the effect of the recreational use of cannabis on the bone mineral density (BMD) of adults.

Among the 2620 studies reviewed, three cross-sectional studies and one randomized controlled trial comprised 4032 participants from 18 to 60 years who met the inclusion criteria. Two studies showed that cannabis exposure decreased BMD, while the other 2 indicated no alteration. Despite the different study designs, the included studies showed a low risk of bias according to the Joanna Briggs Institute tool.

Eligible studies present differences in cannabis products, administration routes, and exposure determination. Further longitudinal research is needed to establish multiple clinical predictors associated with potentially negative consequences of cannabis exposure, especially in vulnerable populations such as elderly individuals.

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Data used in this study are available upon request.

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CAPES for making available the web site www.periodicos.capes.gov.br

Funding

This study was supported by grant from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001 for LAVM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde (PPGCS), Faculdade Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais (FCMMG), Alameda Ezequiel Dias, 275, Belo Horizonte, 30130-110, Brazil

    Luiz Alexandre Viana Magno, Diego Ribeiro Tameirão & Nathalia Sernizon Guimarães

  2. Observatório de Pesquisas E Extensão Em Nutrição E Saúde (OPeNS), Belo Horizonte, Brazil

    Diego Ribeiro Tameirão & Nathalia Sernizon Guimarães

  3. Curso de Medicina, Faculdade Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais (FCMMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil

    Lucas Ferreira Alves

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Luiz Alexandre Viana Magno, Lucas Ferreira Alves, Diego Tameirão and Nathalia Sernizon Guimarães declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Magno, L.A.V., Tameirão, D.R., Alves, L.F. et al. Effect of recreational cannabis use on bone mineral density: a systematic review. Osteoporos Int 35, 391–399 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-023-06992-4

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