Study: THC Linked to Significant Reduction in Eye Pressure, Key Factor in Glaucoma Treatment
- THC was found to significantly reduce intraocular pressure, an important factor in glaucoma treatment, according to a study in the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology.
- The systematic review and meta-analysis included five studies with 99 patients, showing a pooled peak reduction in intraocular pressure of 14.66% following THC administration.
- Intravenous THC showed the strongest effect with a 33.27% reduction, while oral and topical THC resulted in smaller reductions of 10.65% and 9.36%, respectively, though these had less certain results due to wide confidence intervals.
- Compared to control treatments, THC produced a smaller pooled peak reduction of 6.88%, leading researchers to conclude that THC lowers intraocular pressure overall, but its benefit may be less significant relative to controls.
According to a study published in the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was associated with a significant reduction in intraocular pressure, a key factor in glaucoma treatment.
Researchers from University Health Network, the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis examining studies that measured reductions in intraocular pressure following THC administration.
The review included five studies with 99 total patients, 69 of whom received THC exposure or intervention. Researchers found that THC led to an overall pooled peak reduction in intraocular pressure of 14.66%, with the findings reaching statistical significance.
The strongest effect was seen with intravenous THC, which was associated with a 33.27% peak reduction in intraocular pressure. Oral THC was linked to a 10.65% reduction, while topical THC was associated with a 9.36% reduction. However, the oral and topical findings had wide confidence intervals, making the results less certain.
When researchers looked at four studies that compared THC with a control, THC produced a pooled peak reduction of 6.88%.
The study’s authors said their analysis generated pooled estimates for the pressure-lowering effects of THC by route of administration. They concluded that THC significantly reduced intraocular pressure overall, though its benefit appeared less meaningful when compared with control treatment.