Il consumo di marijuana riduce un tipo di dolore cronico che colpisce gli arti inferiori degli ammalati di Aids. Lo sostiene uno studio pubblicato dalla rivista scientifica Neurology. La ricerca e’ stata condotta su pazienti che hanno sviluppato una neuropatia periferica, che si manifesta su un terzo degli ammalati di Aids con forti dolori, disturbi o tumefazioni ai piedi e alle gambe.
Lo studio e’ stato condotto tra il 2003 e il 2005 su cinquanta pazienti in un ospedale di San Francisco che soffrivano di questa neuropatia periferica e che erano consumatori di marijuana. La meta’ degli ammalati ha fumato foglie di canapa indiana tre volte al giorno durante tutto il periodo del trattamento, mentre all’altra meta’ sono state fatte consumare sigarette placebo, senza tetraidrocannabinolo, il principio attivo della cannabis.
Tra coloro che hanno consumato marijuana -ha sottolineato il dottor Donald Abrams, responsabile dello studio la meta’ ha affermato che il dolore si era ridotto del 30% mentre nel secondo gruppo solo il 25% ha sperimentato lo stesso effetto. Questo risultato dimostrerebbe che il consumo di cannabis garantisce a questo tipo di pazienti “benefici clinici” apprezzabili.
Fonte:ADUC-Notiziario droghe
Cannabis may be safe and effective for HIV-related neuropathic pain
Derek Thaczuk, Friday, February 16, 2007 -Aids Map
A prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled trial has found smoked cannabis to be significantly more effective than a smoked placebo at controlling pain from HIV-related neuropathy. The highly-anticipated study was published in the February 13th edition of Neurology.
HIV infection and certain nucleoside analogue drugs can result in HIV-associated sensory neuropathy, a nerve disorder which causes pain in the extremities (usually toes and feet). Neuropathy is often treated with the anticonvulsant drugs lamotrigine and gabapentin, which not all patients find effective or tolerable. Other experimental treatments, including capsaicin cream and tricyclic antidepressants, have not proven more effective than placebo at treating neuropathic pain.
Conclusions and reactions
The Neurology report concludes that “smoking cannabis cigarettes three times a day reduced [sensory neuropathy] pain by 34%, significantly more than the 17% reduction with placebo cigarettes”¦ the present study provides evidence that cannabis has analgesic effects”¦ [and] an acceptable safety margin has been shown”.
As the medical use of marijuana (an illegal drug) is highly politicised, the results of this study received widespread publicity and commentary. David Murray, chief scientist of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, stated that the study was “not terribly convincing” due to methodological problems, and that “people who smoke marijuana are subject to bacterial infections in the lungs.” (A recently released publication review has found that “[l]ong-term marijuana smoking is associated with increased respiratory symptoms suggestive of obstructive lung disease.”)
Lead investigator Donald Abrams said in an interview that “there are people out there who say there is no evidence that marijuana is medicine, that this is all just a smoke screen”, but hoped his findings would “help answer this question in an intelligent fashion.”
Per i dettagli dello studio cliccare qui