The Relationship of Depression, Alcohol, and Marijuana with Treatment for LUTS/BPH

The study examined the relationship between marijuana use, alcohol use, depression, and treatment for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms/Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). The study used data from nearly three million patients in a marijuana-legalized region from January 2011 to October 2018. The study included men over the age of 45 on medical therapy for LUTS. A total of 173,469 patients were identified, with 20,548 (11.9%) on medical treatment for LUTS. After adjusting for confounding variables, marijuana use and depression were found to be associated with an increased risk of LUTS medication. The study concluded that men with depression and marijuana usage were more likely to be treated for LUTS/BPH. The authors suggest further research to better understand the causality of this relationship and potential interaction of LUTS/BPH with the endocannabinoid system.