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USDA grant awarded to MU researchers to reduce opioid overdoses and suicides in Rural Missouri

Childhood trauma is a key risk factor for future substance use disorder, overdose, and suicide. This is particularly problematic in rural areas where children experience higher rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

27 Oct 2023

Study identifies predictors of opioid overdose after prescription for chronic pain

A large study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.230459 identified 10 predictors of opioid overdose after prescription for chronic pain, which can help clinicians engage in shared decision-making with patients around opioid prescribing.

24 Oct 2023

Using opioid settlement cash for police gear like squad cars and scanners sparks debate

Policing expenses mount quickly: $25,000 for a law enforcement conference about fentanyl in Colorado; $18,000 for technology to unlock cellphones in Southington, Connecticut; $2,900 for surveillance cameras and to train officers and canines in New Lexington, Ohio. And in other communities around the country, hundreds of thousands for vehicles, body scanners, and other equipment.

23 Oct 2023

Feds try to head off growing problem of overdoses among expectant mothers

When Andria Peterson began working as a clinical pharmacist in the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, Nevada, in 2009, she witnessed the devastating effects the opioid crisis had on the hospital's youngest patients.

19 Oct 2023

Telehealth may improve access and retention for opioid use disorder treatment

Starting buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder through telehealth was associated with an increased likelihood of staying in treatment longer compared to starting treatment in a non-telehealth setting, according to a new study analyzing Medicaid data from 2019-2020 in Kentucky and Ohio.

18 Oct 2023

Pregnant and addicted: Homeless women see hope in street medicine

Five days after giving birth, Melissa Crespo was already back on the streets, recovering in a damp, litter-strewn water tunnel, when she got the call from the hospital.

18 Oct 2023

Opioid use disorder treatment lowers risk of overdose after surgery, study finds

Although people with opioid use disorder (OUD) are significantly more likely to overdose or have a complication after major surgery than those without the disorder, using medications for the treatment of OUD before surgery may eliminate that extra risk, suggests a large, first-of-its-kind study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2023 annual meeting.

15 Oct 2023

University of Kentucky selected as the nationwide coordination center for NIH racial equity initiative

The University of Kentucky has been selected as the nationwide coordination center for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiative. Danelle Stevens-Watkins, Ph.D., will lead the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Racial Equity Initiative as principal investigator.

13 Oct 2023

Opioid prescribing limits may not worsen patient experience after common surgeries

Worries that surgery patients would have a tougher recovery if their doctors had to abide by a five-day limit on opioid pain medication prescriptions didn't play out as expected, a new study finds.

13 Oct 2023

Is "double jeopardy" of midlife and old age stalling America's life expectancy?

Study reveals that the stagnation in U.S. life expectancy since 2010 is more significantly impacted by increased mortality rates in those above 65 years old than in working-age adults. Termed "double jeopardy," this finding highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions to improve health outcomes across age groups.

11 Oct 2023

Severe maternal morbidity, opioid use, and prior hospital care linked to pregnancy-associated deaths

The majority of research and public discourse on US maternal mortality focuses on pregnancy-related maternal deaths-;deaths caused or accelerated by a pregnancy-;rather than the broader category of pregnancy-associated maternal deaths, which are deaths from any cause during pregnancy or up to one year postpartum, including those that are pregnancy-related.

11 Oct 2023

Living past 100: Healthy habits, good company, and a purpose in life

Researchers explore the secrets behind increased life expectancies, focusing on the influence of diet, lifestyle, and socio-economic changes. Centenarians, individuals living past 100, often delay age-related symptoms, suggesting a lifestyle emphasizing a balanced diet, social interaction, and regular exercise can significantly boost longevity and resilience.

10 Oct 2023

Drug overdose deaths disproportionately affect Americans without college education

Drug overdose deaths increased sharply among Americans without a college education and nearly doubled over a three-year period among those who don't have a high school diploma, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

6 Oct 2023

More schools stock overdose reversal meds, but others worry about stigma

Last year, a student fell unconscious after walking out of a bathroom at Central High School in Pueblo, Colorado.

3 Oct 2023

Rising temperatures could increase hospital visits from alcohol- and substance-related disorders

Hospital visits from alcohol- and substance-related disorders are driven by elevated temperatures and could be further affected by rising temperatures due to climate change, according to new research by environmental health scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

26 Sep 2023

Study: Most patients prescribed fewer opioids after surgery satisfied with pain control

In a recent Mayo Clinic study, researchers found that most patients prescribed fewer opioids after surgery were able to maintain satisfactory comfort levels without requiring more prescription refills later.

25 Sep 2023

Officials agree: Use settlement funds to curb youth addiction. But the ‘how’ gets hairy.

When three teenagers died of fentanyl overdoses last year in Larimer County, Colorado, it shocked the community and “flipped families upside down,” said Tom Gonzales, the county’s public health director.

25 Sep 2023

New study suggests higher buprenorphine doses could help save lives

Individuals with opioid use disorder who were prescribed a lower buprenorphine dose were 20% more likely to discontinue treatment than those on a higher dose, according to a study of patients prescribed buprenorphine in Rhode Island from 2016 to 2020, as fentanyl became widely available.

19 Sep 2023

Experts provide guidance on opioid management in individuals with cancer-related pain

Clinicians treating cancer-related pain must consider whether and how to prescribe opioids to patients who use nonmedical stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamines; however, no guidelines exist related to these common and challenging situations.

15 Sep 2023

Study: Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. more than quadrupled from 1999 to 2020

The United States is experiencing its highest overall death rates in more than a century, fueled in part by drug overdose mortality. The origins of the current epidemic are due, at least in part, to a 1986 World Health Organization pronouncement that pain treatment is a universal right.

12 Sep 2023