Abstract
Introduction: Allostatic Load (AL) has been associated with cardiovascular risk and subsequent cardiovascular disease disparities. Recent studies have investigated pharmacological approaches to reduce and/or reverse AL. One particular area of interest lies in the utility of the cannabinoid system in regulating the physiological irregularities associated with AL. The purpose of this study was to describe AL among marijuana users vs. non-marijuana users in a United States sample. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that AL scores and AL prevalence would be lower among marijuana users compared to non-marijuana users. Methods: Data from adults (20-to-65 years) who completed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys between 2007 and 2010 ( N =6,994) were examined. Marijuana use was defined via computer-assisted self-report of lifetime use (had ever smoked marijuana, yes/no) and current use (had used marijuana at least once in the past 30-days). AL scores were calculated using clinical cut-points for BMI, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse, C-reactive protein, high-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, Glycohemoglobin, albumin, and creatinine clearance. An independent samples t-test was conducted to compare AL scores among lifetime and current marijuana users. Pearson Chi-square analysis was employed to determine whether the prevalence of AL (i.e., AL scores 4 or above) significantly differed between low and high frequency marijuana users. Results: Over half of the sample (58%) reported lifetime use of marijuana. Among current users of marijuana (17.0%), participants reported having used marijuana an average of 12 times in the last month. There was a significant difference in mean AL scores, such that means for those who had ever smoked marijuana (M= 1.67, SD= 1.49) were lower than those who had never smoked marijuana (M=1.84, SD= 1.54; p < .001). Current marijuana users with low frequency of marijuana use in the last 30 days (i.e., less than 12 times) had a significantly higher AL score (M= 1.59, SD= 1.51) than those with high frequency of marijuana use (M=1.37, SD= 1.34; p = .01). The prevalence of AL was significantly higher among participants with low frequency of marijuana use (12.4%) versus those with high frequency (7.0%) ( p = .01). Conclusion: The findings of this analysis describe the relationship between marijuana use and allostatic load. Specifically, allostatic load was lower among individuals reporting lifetime marijuana use and those reporting a higher frequency of current marijuana use. Additional research is needed, in particular - longitudinal studies that examine diverse patterns of marijuana use and variations in allostatic load.
