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New strategies to incorporate social determinants of health into patient records

Incorporating social determinants of health into a patient's health records is an area of significant interest for health systems, but many are finding the integration to be challenging.

26 Feb 2020

Chronic cough could be eased with new drug

A pair of studies have shown that chronic cough and its distressing symptoms could be eased with the help of a new drug. Also, the drug does not have side effects that can restrict its use, explain the researchers. The results of the two studies are published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, and the European Respiratory Journal, respectively.

26 Feb 2020

Naturally occurring molecule could improve brain metabolism in patients with MS

N-acetylcysteine is a naturally occurring molecule that replenishes antioxidants and shows improved brain metabolism and self-reported improvements in cognitive function in patients with multiple sclerosis, according to a study published in the journal, Frontiers in Neurology.

26 Feb 2020

Extreme endurance exercise can increase risk of cardiovascular events

For most people, the benefits of aerobic exercise far outweigh the risks, however, extreme endurance exercise - such as participation in marathons and triathlons for people who aren't accustomed to high-intensity exercise - can raise the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm disorder) or heart attacks, according to a new Scientific Statement "Exercise-Related Acute Cardiovascular Events and Potential Deleterious Adaptations Following Long-Term Exercise Training: Placing the Risks Into Perspective-An Update from the American Heart Association," published today in the Association's premier journal Circulation.

26 Feb 2020

Medication treatments for OUD led to 80% lower risk of death from opioid overdose

Patients with opioid use disorder receiving treatment with opioid agonists (medications such as methadone or buprenorphine) had an 80 percent lower risk of dying from an opioid overdose compared to patients in treatment without the use of medications.

25 Feb 2020

Survival chances increase with further treatment for opioid use disorder after detox

A new study shows that people with opioid use disorder who enter inpatient medically managed withdrawal treatment (detox) do not usually receive further treatment, including medication for opioid use disorder or additional inpatient treatment.

25 Feb 2020

School nurses on the frontlines of treating opioid overdose

As opioid overdoses continue to grab headlines, more states are providing their communities with easier access to naloxone, which can prevent death by reversing opioid overdoses.

24 Feb 2020

Study finds higher risk of poisoning at the beginning and after end of methadone treatment

A new study, led by RCSI researchers, has found that patients receiving methadone treatment are most at risk of overdosing in the month following the end of methadone treatment and during the first four weeks of treatment.

20 Feb 2020

Active droplets for precise dosing of medication

Using a mixture of oil droplets and hydrogel, medical active agents can be not only precisely dosed, but also continuously administered over periods of up to several days. The active agents inside the droplets are released at a constant rate, decreasing the risk of over- or underdosage.

20 Feb 2020

Proactive outreach can be an effective way to improve long-term opioid use disorder care

Proactive outreach, including knocking on the doors of individuals who recently overdosed on opioids, can be an effective way to engage more people who have opioid use disorder with long-term care, according to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

20 Feb 2020

Fighting against treatment-resistant opioid use disorder

Similar to treatment resistant depression, there is a subpopulation of those addicted to opioids who do not respond to standard opioid use disorder (OUD) treatments.

19 Feb 2020

Conservative Indiana adopted needle exchanges but still faces local resistance

Back when Cody Gabbard was shooting heroin, his only significant human contact was with others in the throes of addiction, who only cared to see him when he had drugs.

12 Feb 2020

Heroin use increasing among American adults

Earlier studies have shown a startling sevenfold increase in illnesses and deaths directly traceable to heroin use in the USA over less than 20 years. Along with this epidemic, HIV and hepatitis infections acquired by injections of drugs have also broken out in large clusters in many places. Yet, the extent of heroin use itself has been neglected. The current study looked at this overlooked area of research.

11 Feb 2020

Telemedicine can help pregnant women struggling with opioids

Sarah, a military veteran living on the coast of South Carolina, knew she had a problem. The opioids prescribed for her pain were becoming a headache of their own.

11 Feb 2020

Study finds multiple gaps in rural opioid crisis research

Rural areas have been hit hard by the opioid crisis, but few studies have been done to understand how to improve access to treatment and reduce the overdose death rate in these communities, according to a new study by Rutgers University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University.

6 Feb 2020

Re-engineered plant compound reduces morphine-seeking behaviors in mice

The abuse of prescription and illegal opioids, such as morphine and heroin, is a major problem in the U.S., with devastating public health, economic and social consequences.

5 Feb 2020

Good rehab is hard to find

Pattie Vargas saw with frightening clarity that her son Joel, 25 at the time, had a life-threatening drug problem. He came home one day in 2007 "high as a kite," went to bed and slept four days straight, Vargas, now a 65-year-old resident of Vacaville, California, recalls.

5 Feb 2020