Genetic Link to Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome?

 

    This article is about the largest-ever study on Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), that condition where long-term, heavy cannabis users get stuck in a cycle of terrible nausea, vomiting, and obsessive hot bathing. Researchers started with an online survey and ended up comparing the genes of 28 people with CHS to 12 heavy cannabis users who didn't have symptoms. The major discovery was that the people with CHS were much more likely to have specific genetic mutations. These genes are involved in how the body handles dopamine, breaks down THC, and regulates heat and pain. The study suggests that CHS isn't just random bad luck, but might happen to people who have a genetic predisposition that gets "switched on" by heavy cannabis use. The main reservation in the research was that people were hesitant to send in DNA kits, so the final group was smaller than hoped, with only 28 out of 99 people being genetically sampled.

   This research is significant because it finally gives us a biological clue about why only some heavy cannabis users develop CHS. Finding these genetic links makes sense of these interesting symptoms, and why standard nausea meds often fail, and why hot showers are the only thing that helps those with CHS, it’s likely tied to those specific dopamine and heat-sensing pathways in their genes. That said, you have to take these exciting new results with a grain of salt because the study group was so limited. The fact that many potential participants were wary of sending their DNA shows how tricky this kind of research can be, and I do not blame them for being hesitant. While these findings are a fantastic starting point that could eventually lead to better diagnoses and treatments, they're more of a "first clue" than a final answer. We'll need much bigger studies to confirm that these genetic flags are the real deal.

References: 

1. Russo, Ethan B., et al. “Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome Survey and Genomic Investigation.” Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, vol. 7, no. 3, July 2021, https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2021.0046.

2. “Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome | Cedars-Sinai.” Cedars-Sinai.org, 2019, www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/c/cannabinoid-hyperemesis-syndrome.html.

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