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Study finds gap in survival rates for Asian adults after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Despite similar rates of bystander CPR after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, Asian adults in the U.S. have lower rates of survival than white adults, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

26 Jul 2023

The painful legacy of ‘law and order’ treatment of addiction in jail

Megan Dunn, who has struggled with addiction since her teens, points to the moment her life went "deeply downhill."

19 Jul 2023

Fentanyl overdose reversal: New hope on the horizon

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 100,000 Americans die each year from an overdose, most due to the use of synthetic opiates like fentanyl. While naloxone, currently the only an antidote for opiate overdose, has become more common, it is less effective against fentanyl-class synthetic opioids.

18 Jul 2023

Bipolar disorder associated with increased risk of early death, particularly from external causes

People with bipolar disorder-; characterized by extreme mood swings-;are 6 times more likely to die before their time from external causes, such as accidents, violence, and suicide, than those without the condition, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Mental Health.

18 Jul 2023

Overdosed gene on chromosome 21 accelerates aging in people with Down's syndrome

An overdosed gene on chromosome 21 causes people with Down's Syndrome to age faster than the general population.

12 Jul 2023

Prescription stimulants safe for treating ADHD, study finds

Many parents whose kids take prescription stimulants like Ritalin to treat ADHD worry that it could lead to illicit drug use later.

11 Jul 2023

Meet the people deciding how to spend $50 billion in opioid settlement cash

As more than $50 billion makes its way to state and local governments to compensate for the opioid epidemic, people with high hopes for the money are already fighting over a little-known bureaucratic arm of the process: state councils that wield immense power over how the cash is spent.

10 Jul 2023

Medical cannabis laws have no effect on opioid prescriptions, study finds

State laws allowing medical cannabis use did not reduce prescriptions for opioids or other therapies for chronic, non-cancer pain, according to a policy analysis by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

5 Jul 2023

Study sheds light on the wide disparities within maternal mortality rates in the U.S.

A new study by investigators from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and Mass General Brigham found that maternal mortality rates have worsened from 1999 to 2019, hitting some racial and ethnic groups and states harder than others.

3 Jul 2023

Trial shows no benefit of prescribing an opioid for people with acute back or neck pain

Opioid pain-relieving medicines are not more effective than a placebo in relieving acute back and neck pain and may even cause harm, according to a world-first trial led by the University of Sydney.

28 Jun 2023

Opioid overdose deaths may be reduced by increasing access to prescription opioid painkillers

Increasing access to prescription opioid painkillers may reduce opioid overdose deaths in the United States, according to a Rutgers study.

27 Jun 2023

Research unveils crucial insights into the brain's potential ability to regulate fentanyl consumption

The opioid crisis continues to pose a grave public health concern, with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl posing a major risk for development of addiction and death due to overdose.

26 Jun 2023

Race- and gender-specific interventions may be more effective at preventing overdose deaths

Interventions to address stimulant and opioid use that consider race and gender may prove more effective at preventing overdose deaths than current methods, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers who studied how drug treatment admissions and overdose deaths differed among race and gender.

26 Jun 2023

Experts release new guidelines for safe opioid deprescribing in Australia

Australian and international experts have released 11 recommendations on when, how, and in what situation it may be appropriate for clinicians to reduce opioid use, by placing the patient at the center of the equation.

25 Jun 2023

Study reveals wide discrepancies among U.S. states in treating opioid use disorder

Despite a national opioid overdose epidemic supercharged by a surge of illicit fentanyl, new research from Oregon Health & Science University reveals wide discrepancies among U.S. states in effectively treating opioid use disorder among people covered by Medicaid.

23 Jun 2023

Medication-assisted treatment training for OUD reduces bias and stigma, improves care

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), such as naltrexone, is a well-documented successful treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD).

21 Jun 2023

Xylazine can exacerbate the life-threatening effects of opioids, rat study shows

A new study in rats suggests that xylazine, the active ingredient in a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use, can worsen the life-threatening effects of opioids.

21 Jun 2023

De facto decriminalization may be a promising strategy to reduce drug arrests in the Black community

De facto decriminalization of drug possession may be a good first step in addressing the disproportionate impact of an overburdened United States criminal justice system on the Black community.

19 Jun 2023

Opioid settlement payouts to localities made public for first time

Thousands of local governments nationwide are receiving settlement money from companies that made, sold, or distributed opioid painkillers, like Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, and Walmart.

16 Jun 2023

Males are significantly more vulnerable than females to overdose deaths

Men were significantly more vulnerable than women to overdose deaths involving opioid and stimulant drugs in 2020-2021, according to a new study analyzing death records data from across the United States. The study found that men had a 2–3 times greater rate of overdose mortality from opioids (like fentanyl and heroin) and psychostimulants (like methamphetamine and cocaine).

15 Jun 2023