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Rising concerns over benzodiazepine prescriptions in older stroke survivors

Although there has been a slight downward trend in the prescription of benzodiazepines (depressants that relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, produce sedation and reduce seizures) among older adults over the last decade, the rate of first-time prescriptions for these medications after an ischemic (clot-caused) stroke is still sizable, according to research published today in Stroke, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

17 Oct 2024

Understanding how men and women process pain differently

In a new study evaluating meditation for chronic lower back pain, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that men and women utilize different biological systems to relieve pain.

16 Oct 2024

Differential gene expression linked to alcohol use disorder, offering new treatment possibilities

Researchers identified key gene expression differences in addiction-relevant brain regions that provide new insights into alcohol use disorder and potential therapeutic targets.

14 Oct 2024

Excess sugar consumption triggers inflammation and dysbiosis, worsening periodontal disease

Research explores how excessive sugar consumption can drive systemic inflammation, disrupt the gut and oral microbiomes, and contribute to periodontal inflammation, with implications for global health.

10 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

Study reveals gaps in hepatitis C treatment among reproductive-aged women

Most pediatric cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are perinatal, meaning the virus is transmitted from birthing parent to child during pregnancy or birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

7 Oct 2024

Women who inject drugs are vulnerable to endocarditis, study shows

People who inject drugs are dying at an alarming rate from endocarditis, a serious but treatable heart-valve infection.

4 Oct 2024

Study paves way to more efficient non-addictive treatment for chronic pain

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a new comprehensive mapping of genetic activity for understanding the causes of chronic pain.

4 Oct 2024

Early-life trauma increases pain, depression in final years, study finds

Repeating a school year, experiencing parental abuse or engaging in armed combat have far-reaching long-term effects. Lifetime trauma may even worsen end-of-life pain and discomfort, depression and loneliness.

4 Oct 2024

NIH supports research on non-opioid pain relief for oral cancer patients

The School of Dentistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) earned the first National Institutes of Health grant under its new Center for Pain Therapeutics and Addiction Research, addressing pain in patients with head and neck carcinoma.

4 Oct 2024

Lower attention ability in adolescence can predict substance use in young adulthood

Lower attention ability in adolescence can predict cigarette and cannabis use in young adulthood, according to new research from Trinity College Dublin.

30 Sep 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

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

Neurostimulation target identified for treating PTSD in veterans

A new study led by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, suggests that using neurostimulation therapies on a specific brain network could treat post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans.

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

Are synthetic nicotine brands following FDA marketing guidelines?

Study finds 87% of synthetic nicotine e-cigarette posts on Instagram ignore FDA health warning requirements, emphasizing the need for stricter regulations.

18 Sep 2024