Clinical Investigation on the Impact of Cannabis Abuse on Thyroid Hormones and Associated Psychiatric Manifestations in the Male Population

Abstract

Cannabis abuse is a common public health issue and may lead to considerable adverse effects. Along with other effects, the dependence on cannabis consumption is a serious problem which has significant consequences on biochemical and clinical symptoms. This study intends to evaluate the harmful effects of the use of cannabis on thyroid hormonal levels, cardiovascular indicators, and psychotic symptoms in the included patients. This prospective multicenter study was conducted on cannabis-dependent patients with psychotic symptoms (n = 40) vs. healthy control subjects (n = 40). All participants were evaluated for psychiatric, biochemical, and cardiovascular physiological effects. Patients were selected through Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV criteria and urine samples, exclusively for the evaluation of cannabis presence. Serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), T3, and T4 levels were measured using the immunoassay technique. Patients were assessed for severity of depressive, schizophrenic, and manic symptoms using international ranking scales. Various quantifiable factors were also measured for the development of tolerance by cannabis. Among the patients of cannabis abuse, 47.5% were found with schizophrenia, 20% with schizoaffective symptoms, 10% with manic symptoms, and 22.5% with both manic and psychotic symptoms. In the group–group and within-group statistical analysis, the results of thyroid hormones and cardiovascular parameters were non-significant. The psychiatric assessment has shown highly significant (p < 0.001) difference of positive, negative, general psychopathology, and total scores [through Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) rating scales] in patients vs. the healthy control subjects. The study revealed that cannabis abuse did not significantly alter thyroid hormones and cardiovascular parameters due to the development of tolerance. However, the cannabis abuse might have a significant contributing role in the positive, negative, and manic symptoms in different psychiatric disorders.

Association between free thyroxine levels and clinical phenotype in first-episode psychosis: a prospective observational study

“…Despite this, there are limited human data regarding the effects of cannabis on thyroid hormone levels. Two previous studies found lower TSH and T3 levels in acute cannabis users ( Malhotra et al., 2017 ; Parshad, Kumar & Melville, 1983 ), but these changes were not seen in chronic users ( Bonnet, 2012 ) or in cannabis-related psychosis patients ( Muzaffar et al, 2021 ). In our study, we found that FEP patients with a positive cannabis test in urine at admission had higher FT4 concentrations, although they maintained similar TSH concentrations than FEP patients with a negative cannabis test.…”

Anxiety, Social Adjustment and Psychological well-being of blind Adolescents

“…There is positive relationship among anxiety and social adjustment of blind adolescent. Blind adolescents who experience the severe anxiety, in these blind adolescents, level of psychological well-being and social adjustment in society were low furthermore; those had low anxiety so there was higher level of psychological well-being and social adjustment [15]. Results indicate that there was 0.219 R value and value of R square was 0.048 (p < 0.05) which indicated that 4.8% of the variance in adjustment can be explained by a change in anxiety.…”

“…They face certain stressors such as peer pressure, environmental demands; social and emotional difficulties and these problems directly affect their wellbeing [18]. If they are unable to cope up with these stressors then they are most likely to experience anxiety and suffer from mental issues (i.e., interpersonal problems, aggression, low confidence and less self-esteem), which may cause more deterioration in their overall adjustment [15,19].…”

Tirotoxicosis transitoria por tiroiditis subaguda (de Quervain): reporte de caso

“…Como único antecedente personal relevante en el caso, se encuentra el consumo diario de Cannabis sativa. Si bien no existe gran evidencia científica al respecto, los estudios publicados sobre la relación de los derivados de tetrahidrocannabinol y las hormonas tiroideas no han encontrado asociación alguna, así como tampoco parece ser un factor predisponente para la aparición de enfermedades tiroideas (15,16).…”