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.

Bradycardia emerges as key clinical sign of xylazine-opioid overdose

Researchers have identified bradycardia-an abnormally low heart rate–as a symptom of xylazine-opioid overdose.

14 Jan 2026

Day case surgery linked to significant readmission and chronic pain risks

Two new studies published in Anaesthesia (the journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) analyzing pain and other factors connected with day surgery in the UK show that around 1 in 8 patients having day-case surgery end up not going home and instead are admitted to hospital for various complications.

7 Jan 2026

Gene therapy breakthrough could provide hope for millions living with chronic pain

A preclinical study uncovered a new gene therapy that targets pain centers in the brain while eliminating the risk of addiction from narcotics treatments, a breakthrough which could provide hope for the more than 50 million Americans living with chronic pain.

7 Jan 2026

Homeless shelters for seniors pop up, catering to older adults’ medical needs

Just outside Salt Lake City sits an old, two-story, brick hotel. It's been given new life as a homeless shelter for seniors. The Medically Vulnerable People shelter — or MVP shelter, as it's known — is for people 62 and older or for younger adults with chronic health issues.

7 Jan 2026

Inside the battle for the future of addiction medicine

Elyse Stevens had a reputation for taking on complex medical cases. People who'd been battling addiction for decades. Chronic-pain patients on high doses of opioids. Sex workers and people living on the street.

7 Jan 2026

Acupuncture may help ICU patients recover faster

Acupuncture's multi-pathway effects in ICU patients may reduce complications, support rehabilitation, and improve recovery while minimizing medication use.

6 Jan 2026

Simple reminder emails increase clinicians' use of database for safe opioid prescribing

A new randomized clinical trial finds that simple reminder emails substantially increase clinicians' use of a database that supports safe prescribing of opioids and other drugs, even though opioid prescribing patterns themselves did not meaningfully change during the study period.

30 Dec 2025

Declining religious participation linked to rising deaths of despair

A decline in religious participation among middle-aged, less educated white Americans may have played a role in the widely noted increases in "deaths of despair," a new study finds.

19 Dec 2025

SN101 iPSC-derived therapy relieves chronic pain and preserves joints

SereNeuro Therapeutics, a preclinical biotechnology company developing non-opioid pain therapies, unveiled new data today on a novel approach to chronic pain management and joint tissue preservation.

12 Dec 2025

Maxillary nerve block may reduce perioperative opioid consumption in pediatric primary clefts

For infants undergoing cleft palate surgery, local anesthetic injection targeting the maxillary nerve of the face may reduce or eliminate the need for opioid medications to control postoperative pain, reports a study in The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.

12 Dec 2025

WSU researchers discover how a neural circuit drives relapse after opioid use

Washington State University researchers have discovered how a neural circuit – or a connection between two brain regions – drives relapse after opioid use, a finding that could lead to more effective treatments for opioid use disorders.

9 Dec 2025

Researchers explore brain activity linking nicotine withdrawal and pain sensitivity

Abstinent smokers experience increased pain sensitivity during withdrawal, to the point that they often require more pain relief after surgery.

8 Dec 2025

NYS Medical Cannabis Program reduces chronic pain patients' reliance on opioids

Adults with chronic pain who participated in New York State's (NYS) Medical Cannabis Program were significantly less likely to require prescription opioids, according to a new study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine and led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System.

8 Dec 2025

Novel wireless device uses light to send information directly to the brain

In a new leap for neurobiology and bioelectronics, Northwestern University scientists have developed a wireless device that uses light to send information directly to the brain - bypassing the body's natural sensory pathways.

8 Dec 2025

Most sickle cell patients face long delays for recommended pain relief, study shows

A new study finds that only one in three patients visiting emergency departments (EDs) for severe pain associated with sickle cell disease received appropriate opioid-based pain-relieving medications within the first hour as recommended by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

6 Dec 2025