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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

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

Telehealth app found to improve retention rates in opioid use disorder treatment

Patients who initiated treatment for opioid use disorder through a telehealth mobile app stayed with treatment at a greater rate over six months than those who started treatment in a physical clinic, a new study led by Oregon Health & Science University found.

17 Sep 2024

Socioeconomic disparities in coronary artery disease deaths linked to unhealthy behaviors

Lower socioeconomic status is associated with higher rates of death from coronary artery disease compared to higher socioeconomic status, and more than half of the disparities can be explained by four unhealthy behaviors.

17 Sep 2024

Trends in cannabis use among older adults in Michigan

Research indicates a surge in cannabis use among older Michiganders, emphasizing health benefits, driving risks, and the importance of provider communication.

17 Sep 2024

Tossed medicine, delayed housing: How homeless sweeps are thwarting Medicaid’s goals

Andrew Douglass shoved his clothes and belongings into plastic trash bags as five police officers surrounded his encampment — a drab gray tent overflowing along a bustling sidewalk in the gritty Tenderloin neighborhood, where homeless people lie sprawled on public sidewalks, sometimes in drug overdoses.

16 Sep 2024

Cannabidiol shows promise in treating cognitive disorders

Research reviews the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) in treating cognitive impairments, highlighting positive effects in some trials while emphasizing the need for more comprehensive studies.

12 Sep 2024

Study reveals 45% drop in oxycodone use in Australia after policy changes

Between 2018 and 2020, Australia implemented policy changes to improve the quality and safety of opioid prescribing, with a specific focus on oxycodone.

12 Sep 2024