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.

Opioid use is linked with other forms of substance misuse, mental health problems

Opioid use has dramatically increased in the 21st century, especially among young adults. A new study from the University of Illinois provides insights on usage patterns among Illinois high school students to help inform prevention and treatment strategies.

19 Mar 2021

Specific neurons release dopamine to regulate pain differently in male and female mice

Males and females, generally speaking, experience and respond to pain differently, but scientists have yet to understand all the brain circuits involved in these differences.

19 Mar 2021

Study: 94% of older adults prescribed fall-risk-increasing drugs

Nearly every older adult was prescribed a prescription drug that increased their risk of falling in 2017, according to new University at Buffalo research.

16 Mar 2021

Sharp declines in opioid production costs could reduce the price per dose

The legalization of cannabis and the arrival of nonmedical fentanyl are fundamentally changing drug markets in North America.

11 Mar 2021

Scientific statement defines the distinctive features of opioid-associated cardiac arrest

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests triggered by opioid overdose are a significant cause of death among adults 25 to 64, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association, the nation's largest voluntary health organization focused on heart and brain health for all.

8 Mar 2021

Discovery offers a precise route to treat inflammation associated with neuropathic pain

One of the hallmarks of chronic pain is inflammation, and scientists at the UNC School of Medicine have discovered that anti-inflammatory cells called MRC1+ macrophages are dysfunctional in an animal model of neuropathic pain.

5 Mar 2021

Digital health solution helps reduce key symptoms of chronic pain

For the first time, an app has been shown to reduce key symptoms of chronic pain. A UHN-led study evaluated the impact of Manage My Pain (MMP), a digital health solution developed by ManagingLife, on patients seen at the Iroquois Falls Family Health Team, and the Toronto Western and Toronto General Hospitals.

4 Mar 2021

Study examines the variability in opioid prescriptions for common orthopedic procedures

A new review article published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) examines the variability that exists in opioid prescribing patterns across the United States for many common orthopedic procedures.

4 Mar 2021

Study indicates neural pathway that provides pain relief, reduces cravings for opioids

Researchers have discovered that there may be a new pathway in the brain that provides pain relief and reduces cravings for opioids.

26 Feb 2021

Extensive use of opioid agonists can considerably reduce drug-related deaths

New evidence that opioid agonists such as methadone and buprenorphine could substantially reduce drug-related deaths if more widely used in the community and prison, and for longer, has been published in Lancet Psychiatry.

25 Feb 2021

Post-surgery opioid prescribing guideline leads to high patient satisfaction with pain management

A prescribing guideline tailored to patients' specific needs reduced the number of opioid pills prescribed after major surgery with researchers reporting a greater than 90 percent patient satisfaction rate with pain management and the highest compliance rate to date with appropriate disposal of leftover pills.

25 Feb 2021

Recommendations to help ensure access to high-quality opioid use disorder treatment

On January 14, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) submitted notice to the Federal Register that it would issue practice guidelines that exempt physicians from the requirement to apply for a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) in up to 30 patients at one time.

25 Feb 2021

Researchers study how seasons influence the brain function

A Finnish research group has studied how seasons influence the function of the brain. Researchers at the Turku PET Centre showed that the length of daylight affects the opioid receptors, which in turn regulates the mood we experience.

23 Feb 2021

Three decades-old antibiotics could offer an alternative to opioid-based painkillers

Three decades-old antibiotics administered together can block a type of pain triggered by nerve damage in an animal model, UT Southwestern researchers report.

23 Feb 2021

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Open enrollment, one more time

An estimated 9 million Americans eligible for free or reduced premium health insurance under the Affordable Care Act have a second chance to sign up for 2021 coverage, since the Biden administration reopened enrollment on healthcare.gov and states that run their own marketplaces followed suit.

18 Feb 2021

New automated system may reduce opioid misuse

After more than 1,000 orthopedic procedures at a city health system, roughly 61 percent of the opioids prescribed to patients went unused, according to new research.

18 Feb 2021

Opioid supply-controlling policies may have unintended consequences, finds study

In response to the increase in opioid overdose deaths in the United States, many states have implemented supply-controlling and harm-reduction policy measures aimed at reducing those deaths.

17 Feb 2021

Study highlights promising opportunities that may reduce wasteful health care spending

Spending on low-value health care among fee-for-service Medicare recipients dropped only marginally from 2014 to 2018, despite both a national campaign to better educate clinicians and increasing use of payment revisions that discourage wasteful care, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

17 Feb 2021

Poor and terminally ill Mexicans have less chance to get opioids intended for palliative care

If you're poor and terminally ill in southern Mexico, there's far less chance you'll get the painkillers you need for palliative care than your cousins in more prosperous regions, particularly those pharmacy-rich areas along Mexico-U.S. border, say UCLA researchers and colleagues who studied opioid dispensing levels across the country.

13 Feb 2021

Opioid use during pregnancy can cause long-lasting impairment in the infant's brain

As the number of pregnant women using opioid drugs continues to rise, questions have been raised about the long-term health effects on children exposed to these drugs in the womb.

12 Feb 2021

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Opioid use is linked with other forms of substance misuse, mental health problems

Specific neurons release dopamine to regulate pain differently in male and female mice

Study: 94% of older adults prescribed fall-risk-increasing drugs

Sharp declines in opioid production costs could reduce the price per dose

Scientific statement defines the distinctive features of opioid-associated cardiac arrest

Discovery offers a precise route to treat inflammation associated with neuropathic pain

Digital health solution helps reduce key symptoms of chronic pain

Study examines the variability in opioid prescriptions for common orthopedic procedures

Study indicates neural pathway that provides pain relief, reduces cravings for opioids

Extensive use of opioid agonists can considerably reduce drug-related deaths

Post-surgery opioid prescribing guideline leads to high patient satisfaction with pain management

Recommendations to help ensure access to high-quality opioid use disorder treatment

Researchers study how seasons influence the brain function

Three decades-old antibiotics could offer an alternative to opioid-based painkillers

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Open enrollment, one more time

New automated system may reduce opioid misuse

Opioid supply-controlling policies may have unintended consequences, finds study

Study highlights promising opportunities that may reduce wasteful health care spending

Poor and terminally ill Mexicans have less chance to get opioids intended for palliative care

Opioid use during pregnancy can cause long-lasting impairment in the infant's brain

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