Health
Marijuana compound may help prevent dementia when paired with common drug
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As marijuana’s potential health benefits are under debate, new research has found that THC could have a powerful and positive effect on the brain.
Researchers at the University of Texas (UT) at San Antonio, Long School of Medicine, recently discovered that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana) could prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease – but only when paired with an anti-inflammatory drug called celecoxib.
Celecoxib is a selective COX-2 inhibitor that is commonly prescribed for arthritis and pain.
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While THC has previously been shown to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, it’s also been linked to negative effects on the brain, particularly in learning and memory, according to a UT Health press release.
Combining THC with an anti-inflammatory drug, however, could provide the same benefits with fewer negative side effects.
THC could be powerful against cognitive decline when combined with an anti-inflammatory, a new study suggests. (iStock)
The study, which was published in the journal Aging and Disease, paired low-dose THC extract with celecoxib, which was administered to mice daily for 30 days.
The mice received the treatments before the development of memory symptoms to measure the impact on preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s.
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The results showed improved cognition, learning and memory, as well as decreased markers of neuroinflammation and reduced Alzheimer’s-related brain pathology, the release stated.
Although THC alone had the same results, it also increased inflammatory signals, while the combination dosage did not.
The THC and celecoxib combo improved cognition, learning and memory, while also decreasing markers of neuroinflammation and reduced Alzheimer’s-related brain pathology. (iStock)
“What really mattered was behavior. If cognition is not improved, then the treatment doesn’t matter. And that’s where the combination clearly worked better than THC alone,” noted lead study author Chu Chen, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology.
Years of research led Chen to connect the dots on how THC can manipulate the brain and why it’s difficult to use safely for neurological conditions, according to UT Health.
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“When THC is given, it unexpectedly increases COX-2 in the brain. That increase is closely associated with learning and memory impairment,” Chen said.
Both THC and celecoxib are FDA-approved for use in humans, which could provide a “real advantage” in moving along to clinical trials, according to UT Health.
“What really mattered was behavior. If cognition is not improved, then the treatment doesn’t matter.”
Future studies will investigate whether the drug combination can slow disease progression or reverse deficits after symptoms have appeared.
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“This work has taken many years. But now we’re at a point where basic neuroscience discoveries are pointing toward something that could realistically move into the clinic,” Chen said.
Dr. Paul Saphier, a neurosurgeon and founder of Coaxial Neurosurgical Specialists in New Jersey, called this research an “exciting breakthrough with a huge potential impact for patients and their families.”
“We know that the buildup of the plaques related to Alzheimer’s [beta-amyloid plaques] are the result of chronic inflammation.” (iStock)
“Neurocognitive deterioration has been linked to conditions that cause inflammation within the brain — prior brain bleeds, strokes, tumors and infections,” he told Fox News Digital. “We also know that the buildup of the plaques related to Alzheimer’s [beta-amyloid plaques] are the result of chronic inflammation.”
“So, it makes sense that this combination therapy [might] help limit the production of this amyloid and thereby reduce the progression of the disease.”
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Saphier said the drugs’ FDA approval status is “encouraging,” as it may “ultimately ease the availability for patients, if the trial proves successful.”
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“I look forward to the results of this trial, as well as any future trials that look at limiting the effects of chronic inflammation within the central nervous system.”
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Stat of the week
More than 59% of women may have high blood pressure by 2050, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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