What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: Addiction, Mental Health.

Where was this research published?

Published in Journal of dual diagnosis on June 11, 2026.

Addiction Mental Health

Dual substance use accelerates liver disease in hepatitis C patients

Concurrent Alcohol Use and Smoking Among US Adults with Hepatitis C.

Journal of dual diagnosis • June 11, 2026 • Moderately Relevant

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AI Summary

This study examined the prevalence and trends of concurrent alcohol use and active smoking among U.S. adults living with hepatitis C (HCV) using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 2007-2018. The researchers found that 39.5% of HCV-positive adults engaged in both alcohol use and active smoking simultaneously, with these rates remaining persistently high across the entire 11-year period studied. This concurrent substance use is particularly concerning because alcohol and tobacco together create super-additive toxic effects that significantly accelerate liver damage in people already dealing with chronic HCV infection.

The study identified several factors associated with concurrent alcohol and smoking behavior among HCV patients. Notably, current marijuana use was strongly linked to this dual substance use pattern (aOR = 2.88), along with lifetime substance use history, depression, and a history of cancer. These findings suggest that individuals with HCV who use multiple substances face compounded health risks. The persistence of high rates without improvement over the decade studied raises important public health concerns about intensifying HCV-related complications in the coming years.

For cannabis users specifically, this research highlights an important consideration: those living with HCV who also use cannabis showed significantly elevated odds of concurrent alcohol and tobacco use, which poses additional liver damage risks. The study underscores the importance of comprehensive substance use screening and intervention strategies for people managing chronic HCV, particularly addressing the interconnected patterns of multiple substance use rather than addressing them in isolation.

📄 Original Abstract

Concurrent alcohol use and smoking exert super-additive toxic effects that accelerate hepatic injury in people living with hepatitis C (HCV). Objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of concurrent alcohol use and active smoking at the population-level over the last decade among adults living with HCV in the United States (U.S.), examine trends in the prevalence of concurrent alcohol use and active smoking, and to identify risk factors associated with concurrent alcohol use and active smoking. We conducted a repeated cross-sectional analysis using six NHANES cycles (2007-2018). The study population included adults aged ≥20 years with current HCV infection, defined as detectable HCV RNA with confirmatory anti-HCV seropositivity, and complete data on alcohol use and smoking status. Analyses incorporated NHANES' complex survey design (strata, primary sampling units, and MEC examination weights). Prevalence estimates and temporal trends were derived using design-based methods, with linear regression applied to test for trends. Associations were examined using design-adjusted multinomial logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aORs). The pooled, survey-weighted prevalence of concurrent alcohol use and active smoking among adults living with HCV in the U.S. between 2007 and 2018 was 39.5%. Trends in the prevalence of concurrent alcohol use and active smoking did not decrease but instead remained relatively high over the 11-year period (Trend P = 0.71). In multivariate analysis, current marijuana use (aOR = 2.88, 95% CI 2.84-2.92), lifetime substance use (aOR = 5.98, 95% CI 5.87-6.10), depression (aOR = 2.59, 95% CI 2.55-2.63), and a history of cancer (aOR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.45-1.54) were positively associated with concurrent alcohol use and active smoking. Markedly high and non-decreasing rates of concurrent alcohol use and active smoking at the population-level may contribute to higher incident cases of HCV-related morbidity and mortality in the near future.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: Journal of dual diagnosis
Published: June 11, 2026
PMID: 42274150
DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2026.2676698

Authors (7)

Mohammad Alabbas Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Yuqi Guo School of Social Work, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Jingyi Shi Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, USA.
Hongke Wu Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Walaa Mahmoud Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
+2 more authors