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.

Recovery on the reservation: Montana sisters help peers stop using drugs

There’s a narrative about the meth epidemic in Montana that says the state tackled the problem in the 2000s yet it’s back with a vengeance because of super labs and drug cartels in Mexico. Within the Fort Belknap Indian Community, though, it never really went away.

6 Jun 2017

Opioid use gradually increases few years after bariatric surgery, study shows

While the proportion of adults with severe obesity using prescription opioids initially declines in the months after bariatric surgery, it increases within a matter of years, eventually surpassing pre-surgery rates of patients using the potentially addictive pain medications, according to new research from a National Institutes of Health -funded multicenter study led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

6 Jun 2017

Older people with persistent pain more likely to develop dementia

Researchers at UC San Francisco have found that older people with persistent pain show quicker declines in memory as they age and are more likely to have dementia years later, an indication that chronic pain could somehow be related to changes in the brain that contribute to dementia.

5 Jun 2017

Innocuous start to opioid addition: A 1980 letter that started it all

In a letter to the Editor published this Wednesday (31st May 2017), a group of Canadian researchers have disclosed how a sting of words coming from a notable doctor nearly 4 decades ago was the seed that led to a nationwide epidemic of misuse and abuse of opioid painkiller drugs such as Vicodin and OxyContin.

1 Jun 2017

Chronic pain may occur when receptors migrate from nerve cell's surface to inner chambers

A study led by Columbia University Medical Center has shown that chronic pain may occur when pain receptors migrate from the nerve cell's surface to the cell's inner chambers, out of the reach of current pain medications.

1 Jun 2017

New study reveals how brain's opioids modulate responses towards other people's pain

A new Finnish research reveals how brain's opioids modulate responses towards other people's pain.

31 May 2017

Study finds opioid dependence and overdose rates after urologic surgery

About 1 in 1,111 patients who undergo urologic surgery for conditions such as prostate cancer and kidney stones experience opioid dependence or overdose (ODO), a Loyola Medicine study has found.

30 May 2017

Study aims to find if IV acetaminophen can lead to lower doses of opioids after hip replacement surgery

When considering joint replacement, many patients worry about how much pain they'll experience after surgery. It's a valid concern. Pain control is important not only to avoid discomfort.

26 May 2017

Study provides greater understanding of psychology behind fear

What happens in the brain when we see other people experiencing a trauma or being subjected to pain? Well, the same regions that are involved when we feel pain ourselves are also activated when we observe other people who appear to be going through some painful experience.

25 May 2017

EarlySense introduces new version of integrated patient monitoring and data analytics software platform

EarlySense, the market leader in contact-free continuous monitoring solutions, announced today the latest version of its integrated patient monitoring and data analytics software platform.

25 May 2017

Role of toxicologists in addressing growing epidemic of opioid abuse

On a global level, it is estimated that 20% of adults suffer from pain, and 10% are being newly diagnosed with chronic pain each year.

25 May 2017

Self-management programs help veterans to better manage and cope with pain symptoms

Self-management programs are teaching veterans with chronic pain to become more active, manage symptoms, reduce stigma and frustration, and minimize depression and other mood disorders, according to a VA researcher speaking today at the American Pain Society Annual Scientific Conference, www.americanpainsociety.org.

22 May 2017

Practical clinical trials in pain management can help improve patient function, lower misuse of opioids

Pressures on primary care doctors to move away from opioid pain management are increasing, but practitioners need practical, evidence-based information on how to employ multidisciplinary pain care successfully in everyday clinical practice.

22 May 2017

Opioid prescription for minor injuries increases risk of continued use and addiction

Overprescribing of opioid medications for pain has contributed to a record-high number of drug-related deaths in the United States in recent years.

18 May 2017

Self-treated pain can contribute to risk of frequent non-medical prescription opioid use

Physical pain--often "self-medicated" without help from healthcare professionals--is an important contributor to non-medical prescription opioid (NMPO) use by young adults, suggests a study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

17 May 2017

Study reveals that large number of people in the U.S. drink at very high levels

Nearly 32 million adults in the United States (13 percent of the U.S. population aged 18 and older) consumed more than twice the number of drinks considered binge drinking on at least one occasion, according to a 2013 survey that asked about past-year drinking.

17 May 2017

Making doctors check patients' drug history could be simple way to reduce opioid epidemic

There's a simple way to reduce the opioid epidemic gripping the country, according to new Cornell University research: Make doctors check their patients' previous prescriptions.

2 May 2017

Antidepressant improves drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier, rat study shows

NIH rat study suggests amitriptyline temporarily inhibits the blood-brain barrier, allowing drugs to enter the brain.

27 Apr 2017

Cordant's drug take-back program helps patients to safely dispose unwanted prescription medications

Medication theft from the home is a leading cause of prescription drug overdose deaths, but nearly 70 percent of prescription opioid medications kept in homes with children are not stored safely, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

26 Apr 2017

Placebo can help reduce intensity of emotional pain from romantic rejection, study finds

Feeling heartbroken from a recent breakup? Just believing you're doing something to help yourself get over your ex can influence brain regions associated with emotional regulation and lessen the perception of pain.

25 Apr 2017

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Recovery on the reservation: Montana sisters help peers stop using drugs

Opioid use gradually increases few years after bariatric surgery, study shows

Older people with persistent pain more likely to develop dementia

Innocuous start to opioid addition: A 1980 letter that started it all

Chronic pain may occur when receptors migrate from nerve cell's surface to inner chambers

New study reveals how brain's opioids modulate responses towards other people's pain

Study finds opioid dependence and overdose rates after urologic surgery

Study aims to find if IV acetaminophen can lead to lower doses of opioids after hip replacement surgery

Study provides greater understanding of psychology behind fear

EarlySense introduces new version of integrated patient monitoring and data analytics software platform

Role of toxicologists in addressing growing epidemic of opioid abuse

Self-management programs help veterans to better manage and cope with pain symptoms

Practical clinical trials in pain management can help improve patient function, lower misuse of opioids

Opioid prescription for minor injuries increases risk of continued use and addiction

Self-treated pain can contribute to risk of frequent non-medical prescription opioid use

Study reveals that large number of people in the U.S. drink at very high levels

Making doctors check patients' drug history could be simple way to reduce opioid epidemic

Antidepressant improves drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier, rat study shows

Cordant's drug take-back program helps patients to safely dispose unwanted prescription medications

Placebo can help reduce intensity of emotional pain from romantic rejection, study finds

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