Overdose News and Research

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Study highlights critical gap in addiction treatment for young people with OUD

Only one in four young adults and teens with opioid use disorder are receiving potentially life-saving medications for addiction treatment, according to a new Boston Medical Center study published online in JAMA Pediatrics.

19 Jun 2017

Fatal overdose risk increases with daily opioid use among Medicaid patients, study finds

Among Medicaid patients taking opioids for chronic pain, the risk of fatal overdose rises steadily with daily opioid dose, reports a study in the July issue of Medical Care. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

16 Jun 2017

Opioid abuse and dependence diagnoses found among all age group in urban, rural settings

In rural areas around the country, in the period 2007 to 2016, private insurance claim lines with opioid abuse and dependence diagnoses were found in every age group from 13- 18 years to over 80 years, and in urban areas, in every age group from 13-18 years to 71-80 years.

13 Jun 2017

New review examines link between pain and opioid abuse

The drug overdose epidemic is largely driven by opioids, which continue to be prescribed for chronic pain despite recommendations to use non-opioids for most cases.

12 Jun 2017

Fake contaminant opioids found in prescription pills leading to fatal overdoses in Georgia

There has been a spate of several overdoses in Georgia this week leading to four deaths according to the officials at Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The Bureau issued a statement saying that there is presence of two synthetic opioids in the fake prescription pills that led to these cases of overdose.

9 Jun 2017

Cesarean patients prescribed more opioid pain medications than needed, study shows

Most women who undergo a cesarean childbirth are prescribed more opioid (narcotic) pain medications than needed upon release from the hospital, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study shows.

9 Jun 2017

Heroin use in the U.S. estimated to cost society more than $51 billion

Heroin use in the United States was estimated to cost society more than $51 billion in 2015, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

9 Jun 2017

Anti-heroin vaccine developed at TSRI proven effective in primate models

A vaccine developed at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) to block the "high" of heroin has proven effective in non-human primates. This is the first vaccine against an opioid to pass this stage of preclinical testing.

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

Study: 1 in 6 patients on new blood-thinning medications may not be receiving recommended dose

Almost 1 in 6 of the millions of Americans on the new blood-thinning medications for atrial fibrillation, a common heart condition characterized by an irregular and often rapid heart rate, may not be receiving the recommended dose, new Mayo Clinic research finds.

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

Innovation in natural health supplementation

The market has changed quite a lot. When I first investigated the industry, and launched BetterYou the natural heath industry was the domain of the educated few. People did a lot of research before they walked into a health store; they knew the questions they wanted to ask and expected quite a good deal of information in return.

From BetterYou Ltd 1 Jun 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

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

Study highlights importance of educating family members on opioid overdoses and naloxone use

Family members are often the ones who administer naloxone during an opioid overdose and should be considered as part of the larger response to help curb fatal overdoses.

28 Apr 2017

Findings could lead to new treatments for people who overdose on popular pain reliever

Results from a new study show that after an acetaminophen overdose the p53 protein plays a key role in preventing the progression of liver damage and signaling the liver to repair itself.

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

Researchers develop sensor-equipped gloves to accurately measure muscle stiffness

Everyone experiences stiff muscles from time to time, whether after a rigorous workout, in cold weather, or after falling asleep in an unusual position.

20 Apr 2017

How physicians can prevent opioid abuse while providing adequate pain relief

Rather than being considered a miracle pill that magically takes away pain, prescription opioids are increasingly being seen as a precursor to heroin addiction and the cause of potentially deadly overdoses themselves.

19 Apr 2017

Overdose News and Research

Study highlights critical gap in addiction treatment for young people with OUD

Fatal overdose risk increases with daily opioid use among Medicaid patients, study finds

Opioid abuse and dependence diagnoses found among all age group in urban, rural settings

New review examines link between pain and opioid abuse

Fake contaminant opioids found in prescription pills leading to fatal overdoses in Georgia

Cesarean patients prescribed more opioid pain medications than needed, study shows

Heroin use in the U.S. estimated to cost society more than $51 billion

Anti-heroin vaccine developed at TSRI proven effective in primate models

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

Study: 1 in 6 patients on new blood-thinning medications may not be receiving recommended dose

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

Innovation in natural health supplementation

Study finds opioid dependence and overdose rates after urologic surgery

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

Study highlights importance of educating family members on opioid overdoses and naloxone use

Findings could lead to new treatments for people who overdose on popular pain reliever

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

Researchers develop sensor-equipped gloves to accurately measure muscle stiffness

How physicians can prevent opioid abuse while providing adequate pain relief

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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