Cannabis Use Linked to Lower Rates of Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Fewer Sinus Surgeries in New Study

The analysis, conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, draws on one of the largest medical record databases in the country and offers the clearest picture to date of how marijuana use may relate to chronic sinus inflammation. Researchers used the TriNetX Analytics Research Network, which contains de-identified electronic health records for more than 100 million patients, to compare adults identified as cannabis users with matched non-users between 2012 and 2019. After balancing the two groups by age, sex, race, and major health conditions, each cohort included 73,091 individuals.

The study found that marijuana use was consistently associated with a lower adjusted risk of receiving a new diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis. Within one year, cannabis users had a 13% lower risk compared to non-users, with the reduced risk continuing at 16% after two years and 17% after five years. The researchers found no significant differences between the two groups when evaluating chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Among patients who already had chronic rhinosinusitis, cannabis use was linked to a reduced likelihood of undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Marijuana users had a 33% lower risk of surgery at one year, a 36% lower risk at two years, and a 31% lower risk at five years compared to non-users.

The full text of this study can be found by clicking here.