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.

Trauma centers expand care to treat patients with mental health and substance use disorders

Most patients who show signs of alcohol or opioid/stimulant drug use associated with injury now undergo screening and/or intervention in Level I and II trauma centers, according to national survey results.

14 Feb 2022

Challenges in safely deprescribing common anticholinergic drugs

Medications with anticholinergic properties have been consistently associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes for older adults including cognitive impairment, yet these drugs continue to be commonly prescribed for depression, urinary incontinence, irritable bowel syndrome and Parkinson's disease.

11 Feb 2022

Study finds rising racial disparities in opioid and stimulant deaths

Between 2009 and 2019, overdose deaths in the United States involving opioids and stimulant drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, surged compared to deaths from stimulants alone.

8 Feb 2022

"Drug checking" programs have unexpected benefits, study finds

A recent study has found that so-called "drug checking" programs have unexpected benefits, allowing public health programs to reach and work with people who use drugs who would otherwise not access services such as HIV testing.

7 Feb 2022

Study shows a small increased risk of congenital abnormalities in infants exposed to opioids in utero

A new study in CMAJ shows a small increased risk of congenital abnormalities in infants exposed to opioid medications in the first trimester of pregnancy.

7 Feb 2022

Rapid, highly accurate drug detection vital to reducing the adverse impacts of addiction

Rapid, accessible and highly accurate detection of addictive substances such as opiates and cocaine is vital to reducing the adverse personal and societal impacts of addiction, something current drug detection systems can take too long to provide.

22 Jan 2022

Chatbot helped improve the health of patients whose joint replacement surgeries got delayed by COVID-19

When patients' hip or knee replacements were delayed in response to COVID-19 surges, chatbots delivering encouraging messages not only benefited the mental health of patients – they also experienced boosts to their physical health, too.

20 Jan 2022

Study finds an exponential increase in older adult opioid overdose death rates

A common stereotype for an "older adult" might include early-bird specials, dentures and tickets to the matinee show.

11 Jan 2022

Some heart surgery patients may be able to control postoperative pain without opioids

Many patients who undergo heart surgery may be able to safely and effectively control postoperative pain without opioids after hospital discharge, according to research published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

6 Jan 2022

Study highlights opioid use disorder treatment access disparities based on Medicaid prevalence

Researchers report that in communities where Medicaid is a more common source of insurance, providers of buprenorphine, an effective treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), are much less likely to discriminate between Medicaid and privately insured prospective patients, but patients with either type of coverage still face many barriers to obtaining an initial appointment for treatment.

5 Jan 2022

Prescription drug misuse later in life linked to increased odds of substance use disorder

Nearly half of people in a large U.S. study reported misusing prescription drugs between ages 18-50, which made them more likely to develop substance use disorder symptoms as adults--especially those whose misuse peaked later in life.

4 Jan 2022

Volume of prescribing opioids declined, but the cut was not uniform across geographic areas

The volume of prescription opioids dispensed from retail pharmacies declined by 21% from 2008 to 2018, but the decline was not uniform across geographic areas, among types of patients or by type of prescriber, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

28 Dec 2021

AAN issues new guideline on oral and topical treatments for painful diabetic neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy refers to nerve damage due to diabetes and it may lead to pain and numbness, most often in the hands and feet. To help neurologists and other doctors determine the best treatment for people with diabetic neuropathy, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has issued a guideline on oral and topical treatments for painful diabetic neuropathy.

28 Dec 2021

Dreaded microbe can silence multiple types of pain, study suggests

Anthrax has a scary reputation. Widely known to cause serious lung infections in humans and unsightly, albeit painless, skin lesions in livestock and people, the anthrax bacterium has even been used as a weapon of terror.

20 Dec 2021

Survey shows significant decrease in percentage of adolescents reporting substance use in 2021

The percentage of adolescents reporting substance use decreased significantly in 2021, according to the latest results from the Monitoring the Future survey of substance use behaviors and related attitudes among eighth, 10th, and 12th graders in the United States.

15 Dec 2021

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Trauma centers expand care to treat patients with mental health and substance use disorders

Challenges in safely deprescribing common anticholinergic drugs

Study finds rising racial disparities in opioid and stimulant deaths

"Drug checking" programs have unexpected benefits, study finds

Study shows a small increased risk of congenital abnormalities in infants exposed to opioids in utero

Rapid, highly accurate drug detection vital to reducing the adverse impacts of addiction

Chatbot helped improve the health of patients whose joint replacement surgeries got delayed by COVID-19

Study finds an exponential increase in older adult opioid overdose death rates

Some heart surgery patients may be able to control postoperative pain without opioids

Study highlights opioid use disorder treatment access disparities based on Medicaid prevalence

Prescription drug misuse later in life linked to increased odds of substance use disorder

Volume of prescribing opioids declined, but the cut was not uniform across geographic areas

AAN issues new guideline on oral and topical treatments for painful diabetic neuropathy

Dreaded microbe can silence multiple types of pain, study suggests

Survey shows significant decrease in percentage of adolescents reporting substance use in 2021

Largest declines in adolescent use of illicit drugs reported in 2021

Adverse childhood experiences increase young adults' risk of opioid misuse

Older people taking anxiety drugs and antidepressants more likely to suffer postoperative delirium

New approaches needed to address the U.S. opioid epidemic

Study reveals link between recent cannabis use and extremes of nightly sleep duration

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