Opioids News and Research

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An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

Opioid prescription for new mothers associated with an increased risk of serious opioid-related events

A new study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers finds that new mothers who receive opioids after uncomplicated vaginal births face an increased risk of serious opioid-related events regardless of the opioid dosage, a finding that could significantly impact care delivery.

26 Apr 2021

Novel non-opioid approach to relieve pain after knee surgery

A new study by Henry Ford Health System published in Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery may signal a first step toward eliminating the use of opioids to relieve pain after knee surgery.

26 Apr 2021

Researchers harness the body's own ability to block pain

Fentanyl, oxycodone, morphine--these substances are familiar to many as a source of both pain relief and the cause of a painful epidemic of addiction and death.

26 Apr 2021

Study identifies higher mortality risk for women with back pain

New research from Boston Medical Center identifies elevated mortality risk for women with back pain when compared to women without back pain. Back pain was not associated with mortality among men indicating long-term consequences of back pain may differ by sex.

20 Apr 2021

Policies designed to prevent opioid misuse may limit access to pain-relieving drugs

Policies designed to prevent the misuse of opioids may have the unintended side effect of limiting access to the pain-relieving drugs by terminally ill patients nearing the end of their life, new research led by the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy suggests.

20 Apr 2021

Scientists receive NIH grant to develop an adjuvant vaccine for opioid use disorder

Opioid addicts wage a daily war within over whether or not to use a drug whose side effect can be death. If those same addicts, however, had the choice to take an opioid vaccine once or twice a year, their internal struggle could be over.

20 Apr 2021

COVID-19 pandemic limits access to opioid dependency treatment, increases overdose deaths

COVID-19 has been associated with increases in opioid overdose deaths, which may be in part because the pandemic limited access to buprenorphine, a treatment used for opioid dependency, according to a new study led by Princeton University researchers.

16 Apr 2021

Nearly a quarter of pediatric patients need stronger pain treatment after surgery

After an appendectomy, a quarter (24.8%) of all children wanted a stronger pain treatment in the first 24 hours after their operation.

8 Apr 2021

Mice study points to a promising treatment for relieving colitis pain without side effects

A targeted opioid that only treats diseased tissues and spares healthy tissues relieves pain from inflammatory bowel disease without causing side effects, according to new research published in the journal Gut.

31 Mar 2021

Naloxone can save lives but stigma is preventing its use among newly abstinent opioid users

Opioids are the main driver of fatal drug overdoses in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, resulting in 46,802 deaths in 2018, usually because the person stops breathing.

26 Mar 2021

Study highlights the importance of social connections in preventing opioid misuse

As opioid use disorders and overdoses continue to skyrocket in the United States, a study by researchers from Syracuse University and Pennsylvania State University shows that unmarried young adults who do not have children are mostly likely to misuse opioids.

24 Mar 2021

Opioid use is linked with other forms of substance misuse, mental health problems

Opioid use has dramatically increased in the 21st century, especially among young adults. A new study from the University of Illinois provides insights on usage patterns among Illinois high school students to help inform prevention and treatment strategies.

19 Mar 2021

Specific neurons release dopamine to regulate pain differently in male and female mice

Males and females, generally speaking, experience and respond to pain differently, but scientists have yet to understand all the brain circuits involved in these differences.

19 Mar 2021

Study: 94% of older adults prescribed fall-risk-increasing drugs

Nearly every older adult was prescribed a prescription drug that increased their risk of falling in 2017, according to new University at Buffalo research.

16 Mar 2021

Sharp declines in opioid production costs could reduce the price per dose

The legalization of cannabis and the arrival of nonmedical fentanyl are fundamentally changing drug markets in North America.

11 Mar 2021

Scientific statement defines the distinctive features of opioid-associated cardiac arrest

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests triggered by opioid overdose are a significant cause of death among adults 25 to 64, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association, the nation's largest voluntary health organization focused on heart and brain health for all.

8 Mar 2021

Discovery offers a precise route to treat inflammation associated with neuropathic pain

One of the hallmarks of chronic pain is inflammation, and scientists at the UNC School of Medicine have discovered that anti-inflammatory cells called MRC1+ macrophages are dysfunctional in an animal model of neuropathic pain.

5 Mar 2021

Digital health solution helps reduce key symptoms of chronic pain

For the first time, an app has been shown to reduce key symptoms of chronic pain. A UHN-led study evaluated the impact of Manage My Pain (MMP), a digital health solution developed by ManagingLife, on patients seen at the Iroquois Falls Family Health Team, and the Toronto Western and Toronto General Hospitals.

4 Mar 2021

Study examines the variability in opioid prescriptions for common orthopedic procedures

A new review article published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) examines the variability that exists in opioid prescribing patterns across the United States for many common orthopedic procedures.

4 Mar 2021

Study indicates neural pathway that provides pain relief, reduces cravings for opioids

Researchers have discovered that there may be a new pathway in the brain that provides pain relief and reduces cravings for opioids.

26 Feb 2021

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Opioid prescription for new mothers associated with an increased risk of serious opioid-related events

Novel non-opioid approach to relieve pain after knee surgery

Researchers harness the body's own ability to block pain

Study identifies higher mortality risk for women with back pain

Policies designed to prevent opioid misuse may limit access to pain-relieving drugs

Scientists receive NIH grant to develop an adjuvant vaccine for opioid use disorder

COVID-19 pandemic limits access to opioid dependency treatment, increases overdose deaths

Nearly a quarter of pediatric patients need stronger pain treatment after surgery

Mice study points to a promising treatment for relieving colitis pain without side effects

Naloxone can save lives but stigma is preventing its use among newly abstinent opioid users

Study highlights the importance of social connections in preventing opioid misuse

Opioid use is linked with other forms of substance misuse, mental health problems

Specific neurons release dopamine to regulate pain differently in male and female mice

Study: 94% of older adults prescribed fall-risk-increasing drugs

Sharp declines in opioid production costs could reduce the price per dose

Scientific statement defines the distinctive features of opioid-associated cardiac arrest

Discovery offers a precise route to treat inflammation associated with neuropathic pain

Digital health solution helps reduce key symptoms of chronic pain

Study examines the variability in opioid prescriptions for common orthopedic procedures

Study indicates neural pathway that provides pain relief, reduces cravings for opioids

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