Lofexidine, the first medication for use in reducing symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal in adults, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Lofexidine, an oral tablet, is designed to manage the symptoms patients often experience during opioid discontinuation.
Barriers to Getting Substance Abuse Treatment
For patients with substance use disorders seen in the emergency department or doctor's office, locating and accessing appropriate treatment all too often poses difficult challenges, according to a study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).
Alcohol-Related Cirrhosis More Serious
Alcohol-related cirrhosis patients are sicker, costlier and often female. More than one-third of cirrhosis cases are related to alcohol, a seven-year national study of more than 100 million privately insured people has found.
Poverty, Stress a Factor in Overdose Deaths
Drug-related deaths have grown to be a major US public health problem over the past two decades. Between 2006 and 2015 there were more than 515,000 deaths from drug overdoses and other drug-related causes. The economic, social, and emotional tolls of these deaths are substantial, but some parts of the US are bearing heavier burdens than others. Evidence from the first national study of county-level differences suggests that addressing economic and social conditions will be key to reversing the rising tide of drug deaths, reports the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Drinking Alcohol Biggest Risk for Dementia
Alcohol use disorders are the most important preventable risk factors for the onset of all types of dementia, especially early-onset dementia. This according to a nationwide observational study, published in The Lancet Public Health journal, of over one million adults diagnosed with dementia in France.
Alcoholism 'Wonder Drug' Is a Dud
A drug used to treat spasticity was touted as a 'wonder drug' for alcohol use disorders, but researchers found it is no more effective than a placebo for reducing alcohol consumption and alcohol cravings.
Long-Term Recovery Increases Quality of Life
Receiving successful treatment for an alcohol and drug problem can result in steep increases in physical, psychological, and social well-being, according to the Research Society on Alcoholism.
Follow-Up Increases Naltrexone Compliance
Symptoms of alcoholism make it more difficult for some people to regularly take the prescription drug naltrexone, which could help treat their disease, a researcher at Oregon State University has found.
Late Teen Drinking Can Lead to Liver Problems
Alcohol is the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and liver-related deaths. Results of a large long-term study in Sweden have confirmed that drinking during late adolescence could be the first step towards liver problems in adulthood and that guidelines for safe alcohol intake in men might have to be revised downwards, reports the Journal of Hepatology.
Recreational Drug Users Think Risks Are Manageable
A researcher from James Cook University in Queensland has been investigating why Australians are among the top users of illegal drugs in the world - and has uncovered some revealing new facts about the motivations of recreational drug users.