Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabivarin on Glycemic and Lipid Parameters in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: Cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) are nonpsychoactive phytocannabinoids affecting lipid and glucose metabolism in animal models. This study set out to examine the effects of these compounds in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 62 subjects with noninsulin-treated type 2 diabetes were randomized to five treatment arms: CBD (100 mg twice daily), THCV (5 mg twice daily), 1:1 ratio of CBD and THCV (5 mg/5 mg, twice daily), 20:1 ratio of CBD and THCV (100 mg/5 mg, twice daily), or matched placebo for 13 weeks. The primary end point was a change in HDL-cholesterol concentrations from baseline. Secondary/tertiary end points included changes in glycemic control, lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, body weight, liver triglyceride content, adipose tissue distribution, appetite, markers of inflammation, markers of vascular function, gut hormones, circulating endocannabinoids, and adipokine concentrations. Safety and tolerability end points were also evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with placebo, THCV significantly decreased fasting plasma glucose (estimated treatment difference [ETD] = -1.2 mmol/L; P < 0.05) and improved pancreatic ß-cell function (HOMA2 ß-cell function [ETD = -44.51 points; P < 0.01]), adiponectin (ETD = -5.9 × 10(6) pg/mL; P < 0.01), and apolipoprotein A (ETD = -6.02 µmol/L; P < 0.05), although plasma HDL was unaffected. Compared with baseline (but not placebo), CBD decreased resistin (-898 pg/ml; P < 0.05) and increased glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (21.9 pg/ml; P < 0.05). None of the combination treatments had a significant impact on end points. CBD and THCV were well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: THCV could represent a new therapeutic agent in glycemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes.

Obesity and Alzheimer's disease: a link between body weight and cognitive function in old age.

Obesity is now a global health hazard. It not only predisposes to an array of risk factors leading to increased morbidity and mortality amongst adults but it also has a major negative impact on children's health. The deleterious effects of obesity on cardiovascular system have now been well acknowledged. It causes insulin resistance that in turn leads to diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular abnormalities. The vascular effects of obesity may have a role in the development of a rapidly growing disease of late life, Alzheimer's disease. The precise mechanisms of the association between adiposity and impairment of cognitive performance remain to be elucidated. However, negative impact of obesity on cognitive function may be, at least in part, due to vascular defects, impaired insulin metabolism and signaling pathway or a defect in glucose transport mechanisms in brain. This review examines the available data regarding the impact of obesity on cognitive function.