Top Most Deadly Diseases: What Can CBD Do?

The World Health Organisation publishes a report outlining the most deadly diseases. Diseases that have killed the most people in a particular year or period of several years. There is a hypothesis that disease is killing more people now than a decade back because there is a reduction in cannabinoids. People have less cannabinoids now than they did before. I have no way of proving this allegation but if you think about it, it does hold some water. I mean, that would explain why phytocannabinoids are so effective in treating so many diseases. Why it has become such a go-to plant despite being considered taboo a few years ago. This is a look at some of the deadliest diseases and what CBD/ cannabis can do against them. The CBD might not completely treat the disease but even providing management for the symptoms is worth noting.

•  Ischemic Heart Disease

This has killed the most people in the world. Plaque builds along the vessel walls. This causes the vessels to constrict and become rigid. That means that muscles will be starved of blood. Oxygenated blood. This forces the heart to work harder than it should to pump blood. The end is complete heart failure and eventual death. This also brings about many more complications. Studies have shown that a patient is 20 times more likely to develop anxiety disorders than healthy individuals. One will also be at a  higher risk of suffering depression. The patient will experience abnormal heart rhythms. This commonly known as arrhythmia. Research and studies have found CBD to be quite useful in this situation. Not only for the symptoms but also for the expected complications that could arise. 

In 2013, a study was published in the British Journal of Pharmacology. The study involved laboratory rodents in whom coronary artery disease was simulated. It was found that CBD helped reduce the vascular rigidity. This is an important point as stressed out vessels are a recipe for a medical disaster. CBD was also found to prevent glucose damage to the heart and arteries. 

When organs are not receiving enough blood and the heart is working overtime to pump it, there is a lot of pain involved. CBD is effective against pain of any kind. Inflammation being a natural reaction to dysfunction in the body will occur. In some cases, it will be overboard therefore causing damage to the area and organs. CBD is a potent anti inflammatory agent. By working to alleviate stress hormones and increasing production of pleasure hormones, depression and anxiety are abated too. Although the evidence is still quite weak, CBD can abate arrhythmias. It can help the heart beat more regularly. First by working on the issue causing the irregularity and then stabilising the beats. In some cases, the plaque is made up of bad cholesterol. CBD has been found to help reduction of this bad cholesterol. CBD might therefore be helpful in getting rid of the plaque. 

However, caution must be exercised. There is no telling how the CBD could react with prescribed blood thinners and other meds. It is advisable and smart to talk to the physician about using CBD as an adjunctive to the prescription. WHO estimates that 90% of the global population has risk factors. How about using CBD before it gets to that critical point?

• Stroke

This is another major cause of death. It is interruption of blood supply either caused by a blood clot or brain bleed. Once cells go a for a little bit without oxygen, they start to die. One will experience neurodegeneration from this point on. One will also be unsteady on their feet. They will have poor balance and posture. They might lose vision completely or partially. Limbs might become too heavy or limp. One will also have trouble speaking. As you can already tell, this makes for a very low quality of life. As the infarct continues to grow, one loses more function. One will be less and less able to fend for themselves. Having high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and/or atherosclerosis increases the risk of developing a stroke. CBD can be used to manage these risk factors. 

Once the cells start to die, an inflammatory response is triggered. This is meant to help the body heal from injury. However, the inflammation may remain long past it is due. This will bring on excess cellular oxidation and therefore oxidative stress. CBD as an antioxidant will help repair this kind of damage or prevent it. Blood flow will also be increased in addition to management of pain from the condition. Neurological damage is common in stroke patients. CBD is useful for any kind of neurological injury. This includes reperfusion injury that might result from the stroke. 

With early intervention of CBD, one prevent most of the many after effects. Like infections and mobility. One might also delay or just completely prevent paralysis. The key really is to notice the signs early. 

• COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is exactly that. It is a blanket term for a group of respiratory diseases. There will be inflammation of airways and a whole bunch of complications. These diseases are progressive. That means that there are stages. With each exacerbation the patient moves closer to the next stage. Therefore, the purpose of treatment is to prevent or reduce number of exacerbations. To improve quality of life no matter the stage of COPD patient is at. To manage symptoms and prevent possible complications. 

Patients will almost always have a prescription for an expectorant and a muscle relaxer among others. An expectorant is a drug used to increase eviction of phlegm. That reduces the amount of phlegm that will bother the patient making it uncomfortable for him or her to breath. A muscle relaxer or bronchodilator will relax the organs for easier breathing too. CBD is both of these things. A study revealed that cannabinoid activation of receptors prevents contraction of the lung muscle. This may seem flimsy but it is enough to consider CBD a viable adjunctive at the very least. 

COPD patients will almost always suffer from inadvertent weight loss. CBD will help stimulate an appetite. A note about CBD and appetite is that different dose levels have different effects. It will also relieve one from fatigue of overworked lungs. The patient can sleep better and live a better life. 

COPD is brought about by particulate sensitivity. Therefore one should not go for unfiltered CBD administration. That means that one should not light up a blunt as it will almost certainly cause an exacerbation. Instead go for a filtered method like CBD oil. 

• Pneumonia

Lower respiratory infections are fourth on the list of deadliest diseases. It has been said to cause 15% of fatalities of children under 5. Symptoms are coughing which is usually painful. One will also be fatigued, anxious and depressed. Inflammation of the air sacs is also certain. The thing about pneumonia is that one may mistake it for a common cold due to the symptoms. One will assume it is only a bug. That means that they will have gone a  long while without seeking proper treatment. 

The journal Nature ran a study. Scientists induced bronchospasms with capsaicin in lab rodents. It was found that endogenous cannabinoid anandamide had the ability to hinder the spasms. The endocannabinoid dilated airways. Another study demonstrated the capability of a marijuana and saline treatment for induced bronchospasm in 60 minutes. 

There is a caveat to the use of marijuana for COPD patients though. Do not smoke it. Smoking  will only worsen the infection. It will open up the respiratory system to a whole host of irritants. Other methods of administration are best. Also ensure to talk to the physician about it. They should be involved so that they can advice on how to use this as an adjunctive. 

• Respiratory cancer

Cancer and marijuana is perhaps the most researched subject in the whole expansive cannabis application. Experts say that for better results one should go for the full spectrum cannabis. One should benefit from the entourage effect. Studies have shown that marijuana slows down the growth of tumors by upregulation of TIMP-1, COX-2 and PPAR-у.

So many confusing letters, right? Well, ignore those for a minute, What we really mean is that cannabis is antiproliferative and apoptotic. Antiproliferative is prevention of cancer cell growth. Apoptosis is cancer cell death. The cannabis helps enhance action of the aforementioned letters. The letters cause these two actions. 

CBD has been found to be very effective against chemo side effects. Chemotherapy is a common treatment for cancer but it also comes with debilitating effects. Effects that can lower the quality of life significantly. In some cases, the patient might develop resistance to the drugs prescribed including the chemo. Cannabis will help increase receptivity to the drugs. Some studies claim that marijuana can be anti-migratory. That is, it prevents the cancer from spreading to other organs. 

• Diabetes

Diabetes on its own kills millions of people every year. It causes many many cases of disability. Diabetes also bring about other fatal complications. It is estimated that 25% of diabetes patients will develop a foot ulcer. A diabetes patients is also 20 times more likely to lose a limb to amputation. Diabetes also increases heart failures risk factor  three fold. 

Cannabis has been found to help stabilise blood sugar. There is also a lot of pain involved that can be treated with the CBD. Many diabetes patients who use CBD can attest to its efficacy for complications such as neuropathy and numbness. 

CBD Gospel

We are not saying CBD is a cure all. We are only saying that it is meant to promote homeostasis. It will therefore find ways to right any wrongs there might be in the body. Cannabis  if used right can help manage most diseases. It may not heal but it will surely increase quality of life. It will surely help slow down the progress of fatal diseases. We are saying CBD could change the lives of millions of people worldwide. People who have suffered under numerous pharmacological interventions that seem to clear the disease along with soul and spirit.