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.

Challenging the chronic brain disease model of addiction

Addiction is not simply a chronic brain disease and considering it as such can limit treatment options and increase stigma, an extensive research review suggests.

1 Jul 2024

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': SCOTUS ruling strips power from federal health agencies

In what will certainly be remembered as a landmark decision, the Supreme Court's conservative majority this week overruled a 40-year-old legal precedent that required judges in most cases to yield to the expertise of federal agencies.

28 Jun 2024

Major surgical procedures driving postoperative opioid dispensing in pediatric and adult patients

A handful of common surgical procedures account for large shares of all opioids dispensed after surgery in children and adults, according to two studies recently published by researchers at the University of Michigan.

28 Jun 2024

Survey reveals public awareness gaps in opioid use disorder treatment by primary care physicians

Results from a national survey indicate that many Americans, 61%, are unaware that primary care physicians can prescribe medications for opioid use disorder, and 13% incorrectly believed that they could not.

28 Jun 2024

Study uncovers new insights into the main human cold and menthol sensor TRPM8

Chronic pain affects millions worldwide, and current treatments often rely on opioids, which carry risks of addiction and overdose.

21 Jun 2024

Drug-related infant deaths surge in the U.S., study finds

A recent study from the Journal of Perinatal Medicine reveals a significant rise in drug-related infant deaths in the U.S. between 2018 and 2022, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions.

18 Jun 2024

HEALing Communities Study: Data-driven intervention did not reduce opioid-related overdose death rates

A data-driven intervention that engaged communities to rapidly deploy evidence-based practices to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths – such as increasing naloxone distribution and enhancing access to medication for opioid use disorder – did not result in a statistically significant reduction in opioid-related overdose death rates during the evaluation period, according to results from the National Institutes of Health's HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-Term) Communities Study.

17 Jun 2024

Study: Out-of-pocket costs impact naloxone access

Patients are less likely to fill prescriptions for naloxone when they face increases in out-of-pocket costs, according to research by the University of Michigan.

13 Jun 2024

UC San Diego's initiative for combating the opioid crisis with AI

Opioids are a broad group of effective pain-relieving medicines that can become highly addictive in some individuals. According to government sources, nearly 40 million people are addicted to illicit drugs worldwide.

13 Jun 2024

Addressing the lifelong needs of adults with cerebral palsy

Because the majority of people living with cerebral palsy (CP) are adults, a focus on adult care in addition to pediatric and adolescent care is increasingly important to address their needs.

6 Jun 2024

Mindfulness as medicine: A powerful tool for pain and addiction

Mindfulness training has made its way into school districts, self-help and health books, and workplaces. One day soon, it could also be widely offered as a "medicine" for some physical and mental health conditions.

31 May 2024

Survey: 82.7 million Americans impacted by overdose deaths

Losing a loved one to drug overdose has been a common experience for many Americans in recent years, crossing political and socioeconomic divides and boosting the perceived importance of the overdose crisis as a policy issue, according to a new survey led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

31 May 2024

Opioid receptors play unexpected role in gut nervous system development

Researchers at Rice University have revealed a previously unknown function of opioid receptors in the development of the enteric nervous system (ENS), often referred to as the "brain in the gut."

29 May 2024

SPLIT program: Stratified care for enhanced outcomes in low back pain management

Low back pain, or LBP, challenges health systems worldwide. To mitigate persistent disabling LBP, the implementation of a stratified approach in primary care has been suggested.

28 May 2024

California pays meth users to get sober

Here in the rugged foothills of California's Sierra Nevada, the streets aren't littered with needles and dealers aren't hustling drugs on the corner.

22 May 2024

Clean needles save lives. In some states, they might not be legal.

Kim Botteicher hardly thinks of herself as a criminal. On the main floor of a former Catholic church in Bolivar, Pennsylvania, Botteicher runs a flower shop and cafe.

17 May 2024

Chiropractic care reduces tramadol prescriptions for sciatica, study finds

A new study led by researchers at University Hospitals Connor Whole Health found that adults initially receiving chiropractic spinal manipulation for newly diagnosed radicular low back pain (sciatica) were significantly less likely to be prescribed tramadol over the following year compared to those receiving usual medical care.

16 May 2024