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Ozempic and similar drugs may lower risks for opioid and alcohol use disorders

A new study published in the scientific journal Addiction has found that people with opioid or alcohol use disorder (OUD, AUD) who take Ozempic or similar medications to treat diabetic/weight-related conditions appear to have a 40% lower rate of opioid overdose and a 50% lower rate of alcohol intoxication than people with OUD and AUD who do not take Ozempic or similar medications.

17 Oct 2024

Naloxone use by non-medical bystanders on the rise, but not fast enough

Use of a lifesaving drug to reverse opioid drug overdoses is growing, but not fast enough. That's according to new research in JAMA Network Open from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, College of Public Health and the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

14 Oct 2024

University of Michigan receives grant to study pain management in opioid use disorder

The University of Michigan will use a new $3.6 million federal grant to study how pain and opioids after surgery impact people with opioid use disorder, how guidelines might be adjusted to address post-surgical pain and how to prevent opioid-related harms.

12 Oct 2024

Decoding Cannabis: Differentiating Hemp and Marijuana

In this interview conducted at Pittcon 2024 in San Diego, Rabi Musah delves into her innovative use of DART-HRMS and chemometric analysis to differentiate between hemp and marijuana varieties of Cannabis sativa, exploring the forensic and legal implications of these findings.

From Pittcon 10 Oct 2024

Tiny molecule offers hope in reducing opioid side effects

Opioid drugs are highly effective at relieving pain but come with severe drawbacks. Their side effects range from dizziness to potentially fatal respiratory depression.

9 Oct 2024

Poppy seed brew triggers morphine overdose, drawing attention of lawmakers

It sounds like a joke: poppy seeds infused with opioids. Indeed, it was a plotline on the sitcom Seinfeld. But for some it has been a tragedy.

9 Oct 2024

Vance-Walz debate highlighted clear health policy differences

Ohio Republican Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz met in an Oct. 1 vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News that was cordial and heavy on policy discussion — a striking change from the Sept. 10 debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

2 Oct 2024

Study reveals impact of overdose deaths on U.S. children

An estimated 1.4 million U.S. children -- 2% of all children nationwide - had lost a family member to a drug overdose as of 2019, according to a study by researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Pennsylvania State University.

30 Sep 2024

AAP publishes first clinical guideline for opioid use in pediatric care

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published its first clinical guideline for pediatricians on prescribing opioids, including explicit instructions on how and when to prescribe these medications for pain while reducing the long-term risk of addiction.

30 Sep 2024

California voters consider tough love for repeat drug offenders

California voters are considering whether to roll back some of the criminal justice reforms enacted a decade ago as concerns about mass incarceration give way to public anger over property crime and a fentanyl crisis that has plagued the state since the covid-19 pandemic hit.

30 Sep 2024

Study links semaglutide to reduced opioid overdose risk in patients with OUD and diabetes

Since being deemed a public health emergency in 2017, opioids are responsible for 72% of drug overdose deaths in the United States, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics.

25 Sep 2024

Higher doses of buprenorphine linked to lower emergency visits in opioid use disorder

Adults with opioid use disorder who receive a higher daily dose of the opioid addiction treatment medication buprenorphine may have a lower risk of subsequent emergency department visits or use of inpatient services related to behavioral health (such as for mental health and substance use disorders) than adults receiving the recommended dose, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

25 Sep 2024

Study reveals limited access to opioid treatment in US jails

A new look into addiction treatment availability in the U.S. criminal justice system reveals that fewer than half (43.8%) of 1,028 jails surveyed across the nation offered any form of medication for opioid use disorder, and only 12.8% made these available to anyone with the disorder.

24 Sep 2024

Hospital discharges against medical advice tied to increased overdose risk

People who initiate a premature or "before medically advised" (BMA) hospital discharge have a 10-fold increase in the risk of drug overdose in the following month, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.240364.

23 Sep 2024

New curriculum aims to address substance use disorders in medical education

Nearly 6,000 opioid-related overdose deaths occurred in California in 2021, many due to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid.

19 Sep 2024

Data analysis sheds light on youth opioid overdose crisis

Drug overdose mortality has risen faster among adolescents than the general population in recent years, largely due to fentanyl, a potent opioid pain medication. A new study published in JAMA sheds light on trends in nonfatal opioid overdoses in youth – an area that was not as well characterized, but key to formulating prevention strategies to save lives.

19 Sep 2024

Low-dose ketamine eases fentanyl withdrawal symptoms

Drug overdose is the leading cause of injury deaths in young adults in the United States, with fentanyl causing over 70,000 deaths annually.

17 Sep 2024

Study reveals tropical oils' dual impact: Vital vitamins and dangerous side effects

A comprehensive review of tropical oils reveals their health benefits and risks, highlighting coconut and palm oil's impact on nutrition and disease prevention.

16 Sep 2024

‘What happens three months from now?’ Mental health after Georgia High School shooting

About an hour after gunfire erupted at Apalachee High School, ambulances started arriving at nearby Northeast Georgia Medical Center Barrow with two students and two adults suffering from panic attacks and extreme anxiety, not bullet wounds.

13 Sep 2024

Study reveals significant increase in drug overdoses in Colombia among young women

Overdose rates in Colombia involving illegal opioids, hallucinogens, stimulants and sedative psychotropic medication increased greatly during 2018-2021, mainly caused by overdoses in young women, according to a study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

12 Sep 2024