by Staff writer
Researchers at Amen Clinics Inc. of California have found evidence that chronic use of marijuana (the most commonly used illicit drug in the world, according to the WHO) may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.
This is because marijuana restricts blood flow to the regions of the brain where the condition takes root.
In the study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 982 current or former chronic users and 92 healthy controls underwent brain scans to evaluate blood flow there.
Those diagnosed with cannabis use disorder showed a significant reduction in brain blood flow in almost every region.
The hippocampus, which is where Alzheimer’s originates, saw the largest reduction. This is the area responsible for learning and memory.
Researchers believe marijuana use may affect memory formation due to this effect.
The study suggests consistent use of marijuana causes damage to the brain and possible effects include memory formation disruption.
Other studies have also suggested that restricted blood flow to the hippocampus can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.
More research will have to be conducted to corroborate this claim, but it’s reasonable that users of the drug reduce their intake immediately to be on the safer side!
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