A naturally occurring compound found in cannabis may help to curb the frequency of epileptic seizures, however, the evidence to date is confined to the treatment of children and teens whose epilepsy does not respond to conventional drugs, and rare and serious forms of the condition, caution the researchers.
Between 70 and 80 percent of people newly diagnosed with epilepsy manage to control their seizures completely using conventional drugs such as valproate and carbamazepine, but that still leaves up to a third whose condition is unresponsive to these treatments.
Preliminary research suggests that naturally occurring compounds found in cannabis (cannabinoids) may dampen down convulsions. And one of these cannabinoids, cannabidiol or CBD for short, seems to show promise for curbing seizures.
To explore this in more depth, the researchers trawled research databases for relevant published and unpublished studies looking at the potential impact of cannabinoids as an add-on to usual treatment on epilepsy seizures. Out of an initial haul of 91 studies, they found six clinical trials (555 patients) and 30 observational studies (2865 patients) that were eligible for inclusion in their review.
All the participants, whose average age was 16, had rare forms of epilepsy that had not responded to usual treatment.
Pooled analysis of the clinical trial data showed that CBD was more effective than a placebo drug at cutting seizure frequency by 50 percent or more, and improving quality of life.
CBD was also more effective than placebo at eradicating seizures altogether, although this was still rare.
But the risk of side effects (dizziness and drowsiness), although small, was significant–24 percent higher–while that of serious side effects was twice as high among those taking cannabidiol. Pooled data from 17 of the observational studies showed that seizure frequency dropped by at least 50 percent in just under half of the patients and disappeared completely in nearly one in 10 (8.5%) in eight of these studies. Quality of life improved in half of the patients in 12 of the studies.
"Pharmaceutical grade CBD as adjuvant treatment in paediatric onset drug-resistant epilepsy may reduce seizure frequency," conclude the researchers. "Existing [randomised controlled trial] evidence is mostly in paediatric samples with rare and severe epilepsy syndromes; [randomised controlled trials] examining other syndromes and cannabinoids are needed."
Sweetch, the mobile-health app that helps prevent and improve outcomes in diabetes by encouraging long-term behavioral change, today revealed the outcomes of its clinical trial conducted at Johns Hopkins University. Directed by the university's Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism, the study shows that using Sweetch significantly lowered A1C levels, a diabetes biomarker for blood sugar, increased physical activity and reduced weight for patients with early stage diabetes. Being active for 150 minutes a week and reducing weight by 5 to 7 percent has been proven to reduce the chances of developing diabetes by 58 percent. The full results of the study are published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Sweetch developed a proprietary machine-learning technology that predicts and reduces individuals' risk of developing diabetes and offers a highly personalized intervention to improve the patient's clinical outcomes. Generic recommendations, such as walking 10,000 steps and eating fewer carbohydrates, have not been found to be effective in engaging patients, especially in the long term. Sweetch's artificial intelligence (AI) technology offers personalized recommendations that can be realistically achieved and are continuously adapted based on the user's past behavior. This approach promises gradual progress, hyper-personalization and long-term adherence.
Sweetch works by automatically processing smartphone-originated data streams, including geo-location, schedule, physical activity patterns, driving and walking routes, weather, and surroundings, which are translated into...
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