- Cachexia (Wasting Syndrome)
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PRESENTED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. MEDICAL MARIJUANA INC. PROVIDES THIS INFORMATION TO PROVIDE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF CANNABIDIOL. LINKS TO THIRD PARTY WEBSITES DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENT OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS BY MEDICAL MARIJUANA INC. AND NONE SHOULD BE INFERRED.The term cachexia refers to significant weight loss related to a serious disease or illness. Studies have shown that cannabis can help stimulate appetite, increase the enjoyment of eating, and reduce nausea.
OVERVIEW OF CACHEXIACachexia, or “wasting syndrome,” refers to the marked weight loss in patients diagnosed with a serious illness, like cancer, HIV/AIDS, congestive heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and Crohn’s disease. With cachexia, normal nutritional support isn’t effective at reversing the loss in mass. The syndrome is a serious one, as patients with cachexia generally respond poorly to treatments like chemotherapy and therefore have a shorter survival time.
According to Cancer Cachexia Hub, cachexia is a complex syndrome that can be caused by a combination of factors, including ones that are disease-related like digestive problems, treatment-related like the nausea and vomiting, and patient-related like distress and depression.
In early stages of cachexia, patients will notice just slight losses in appetite and body weight. Anorexia, while not a cause of cachexia, is commonly an associated with patients with cachexia.
Over time, as the condition gets worse, the patient consumes even less food and experiences greater weight loss. Severe stages are marked with obvious muscle wasting. Because of mass loss, those with cachexia also experience an overall poor quality of life due to weakness, fatigue, respiratory complications and a general disinterest in participating in social activities.
Cachexia is commonly associated with the final stages of cancer because of body’s immune system response. The interaction between the cancer cells and with the immune system’s pro-inflammatory cytokines (protein molecules that signal cells to produce an inflammatory reaction) lead to cachexia. This interaction can accelerate the loss of skeletal muscle.
FINDINGS: EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON CACHEXIACommon treatment methods for cachexia include hypercaloric or intravenous feeding and the administration of appetite-stimulating medications like growth hormones, testosterone and progesterones. The cannabinoids found in medical cannabis has also proven to be effective at boosting appetite8. The cannabinoids interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a signaling system responsible for regulating food intake5,7,8. Cannabis contains the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which influences the neural networks to convince the brain that it’s hungry.
THC has shown to significantly stimulate appetite in patients that have cachexia related to cancer6,9. In addition, medical marijuana has demonstrated effective at increasing appetite and stabilizing body weight in AIDS-cachexia patients1,3.
Evidence also suggests that cannabis may help cachexia patients increase their energy and physical activity levels, which in turn could lower the risk of atrophy and improve mood. A 2015 study found that adult women with severe anorexia nervosa treated with cannabis medication saw a modest increase in physical activity2.
STATES THAT HAVE APPROVED MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR CACHEXIACurrently, 23 states have approved medical marijuana specifically for the treatment of cachexia. These states include: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. In Washington D.C., any condition can be approved for medical marijuana as long as a DC-licensed physician recommends the treatment.
There are other states that don’t specifically list cachexia as an approved condition for medical marijuana, but that allow cannabis use for related conditions like cancer and HIV/AIDS. These states include: Florida (cancer, Crohn’s disease, HIV/AIDS), Georgia (cancer, Crohn’s), Massachusetts (cancer, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease), New Jersey (cancer, Crohn’s disease, HIV/AIDS), New York (cancer, HIV/AIDS), Ohio (cancer, HIV/AIDS), and Pennsylvania (cancer, HIV/AIDS).
RESEARCH ON CANNABIS’ EFFECT ON CACHEXIA
OVERVIEW OF CACHEXIACachexia, or “wasting syndrome,” refers to the marked weight loss in patients diagnosed with a serious illness, like cancer, HIV/AIDS, congestive heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and Crohn’s disease. With cachexia, normal nutritional support isn’t effective at reversing the loss in mass. The syndrome is a serious one, as patients with cachexia generally respond poorly to treatments like chemotherapy and therefore have a shorter survival time.
According to Cancer Cachexia Hub, cachexia is a complex syndrome that can be caused by a combination of factors, including ones that are disease-related like digestive problems, treatment-related like the nausea and vomiting, and patient-related like distress and depression.
In early stages of cachexia, patients will notice just slight losses in appetite and body weight. Anorexia, while not a cause of cachexia, is commonly an associated with patients with cachexia.
Over time, as the condition gets worse, the patient consumes even less food and experiences greater weight loss. Severe stages are marked with obvious muscle wasting. Because of mass loss, those with cachexia also experience an overall poor quality of life due to weakness, fatigue, respiratory complications and a general disinterest in participating in social activities.
Cachexia is commonly associated with the final stages of cancer because of body’s immune system response. The interaction between the cancer cells and with the immune system’s pro-inflammatory cytokines (protein molecules that signal cells to produce an inflammatory reaction) lead to cachexia. This interaction can accelerate the loss of skeletal muscle.
FINDINGS: EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON CACHEXIACommon treatment methods for cachexia include hypercaloric or intravenous feeding and the administration of appetite-stimulating medications like growth hormones, testosterone and progesterones. The cannabinoids found in medical cannabis has also proven to be effective at boosting appetite8. The cannabinoids interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a signaling system responsible for regulating food intake5,7,8. Cannabis contains the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which influences the neural networks to convince the brain that it’s hungry.
THC has shown to significantly stimulate appetite in patients that have cachexia related to cancer6,9. In addition, medical marijuana has demonstrated effective at increasing appetite and stabilizing body weight in AIDS-cachexia patients1,3.
Evidence also suggests that cannabis may help cachexia patients increase their energy and physical activity levels, which in turn could lower the risk of atrophy and improve mood. A 2015 study found that adult women with severe anorexia nervosa treated with cannabis medication saw a modest increase in physical activity2.
STATES THAT HAVE APPROVED MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR CACHEXIACurrently, 23 states have approved medical marijuana specifically for the treatment of cachexia. These states include: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. In Washington D.C., any condition can be approved for medical marijuana as long as a DC-licensed physician recommends the treatment.
There are other states that don’t specifically list cachexia as an approved condition for medical marijuana, but that allow cannabis use for related conditions like cancer and HIV/AIDS. These states include: Florida (cancer, Crohn’s disease, HIV/AIDS), Georgia (cancer, Crohn’s), Massachusetts (cancer, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease), New Jersey (cancer, Crohn’s disease, HIV/AIDS), New York (cancer, HIV/AIDS), Ohio (cancer, HIV/AIDS), and Pennsylvania (cancer, HIV/AIDS).
RESEARCH ON CANNABIS’ EFFECT ON CACHEXIA
- Tetrahydrocannabinol in cannabis was effective at stimulating appetite in patients experiencing cancer-associated anorexia.
A phase II study of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol for appetite stimulation in cancer-associated anorexia.
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8035251)
- Drug with THC found to be most effective at palliating anorexia associated with cancer.
Dronabinol versus megestrol acetate versus combination therapy for cancer-associated anorexia: a North Central Cancer Treatment Group study.
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11786587)
- A review article on the evidence supporting that THC is effective at increasing appetite.
Mechanism of action of cannabinoids: how it may lead to treatment of cachexia, emesis, and pain.
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15357514)
- Abrams, D.I., Jay, C.A., Shade, S.B., Vizoso, H., Reda, H., Press, S., Kelly, M.E., Rowbotham, M.C., and Petersen, K.L. (2007, February). Cannabis in painful HIV-associated sensory neuropathy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Neurology, 68(7), 515-21. Retrieved from http://safeaccess.ca/research/pdf/hiv_pain_cannabis_abrams.pdf.
- Andries, A., Gram, B. and Stoving, RK. (2015, March). Effect of dronabinol therapy on physical activity in anorexia nervosa: a randomised, controlled trial. Eating and Weight Disorders, 20(1), 13-21. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40519-014-0132-5.
- Beal, J.E., Olson, R., Laubenstein, L., Morales, J.O., Bellman, P., Yangco, B., Lefkowitz, L, Plasse, T.F., and Shephard, KV. (1995, February). Dronabinol as a treatment for anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS. Journal of Pain and System Management, 10(2), 89-97. Retrieved from http://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/0885-3924(94)00117-4/pdf.
- Cachexia (n.d.). Patient. Retrieved from http://patient.info/doctor/cachexia.
- Cota, D., Marsicano, G., Lutz, B., Vicennati, V., Stalla, G.K., Pasquali, R., and Pagotto, U. (2003). Endogenous cannabinoid system as a modulator of food intake. International Journal of Obesity, 27, 289-301. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v27/n3/full/0802250a.html.
- Jatoi, A., Windschitl, H.E., Loprinzi, C.L., Sloan, J.A., Dakhil, S.R., Mailliard, J.A., Pundaleeka, S., Kardinal, C.G., Fitch, T.R., Krook, J.E., Novotny, P.J., and Christensen, B. (2002). Dronabinol versus megestrol acetate versus combination therapy for cancer-associated anorexia: a North Central Cancer Treatment Group study. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 20(2), 567-73. Retrieved from http://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JCO.2002.20.2.567.
- Koch, M., Varela, L., Geun Kim, J., Dae Kim, J., Hernández-Nuño, F., Simonds, S.E., Castorena, C.M., Vianna, C.R., Elmquist, J.K., Morozov, Y.M., Rakic, P., Bechmann, I., Cowley, M.A., Szigeti-Buck, K., Dietrich, M.L., Gao, X.-B., Diano, S., and Horvath, T.L. (2015, March 5). Hypothalamic POMC neurons promote cannabinoid-induced feeding. Nature, 519, 45-50. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4496586/.
- Mechoulam, R., Berry, E.M., Avraham, Y., Di Marzo, V., and Fride, E. (2006). Endocannabinoids, feeding and sucking – from our perspective. International Journal of Obesity, 30, S24-S28. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v30/n1s/full/0803274a.html
- Nauck, F., Klaschik,E. (2004, June). Cannabinoids in the treatment of the cachexia-anorexia syndrome in palliative care patients. Schmerz, 18(3), 197-202. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00482-003-0277-z.
- What causes Cancer Cachexia? (n.d.). Cancer Cachexia Hub. Retrieved from http://www.cancercachexia.com/what-causes-cancer-cachexia.