PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Researchers identify similarities between HIV/AIDS and opioid addiction epidemics

Researchers offer immediate steps to address rise in deaths

2014-04-01
(Press-News.org) (PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – There are important parallels between the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the current epidemic of opioid addiction - ones that could trigger a significant shift in opioid addiction prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

These are the findings of a comparative review of HIV/AIDS and addiction by researchers Josiah D. Rich, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights, based at The Miriam Hospital; Traci C. Green, Ph.D., MSc, Department of Emergency Medicine at Rhode Island Hospital and assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; and lead author Sarah E. Wakeman, M.D., Department of Medicine and Center for Community Health Improvement, Massachusetts General Hospital. The paper is published online in advance of print in the American Journal of Medicine.

"Deaths documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been on the rise, and that profile bears a striking resemblance to the beginning stages of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic," said Rich. "There are lessons learned from the HIV/AIDS epidemic that should be heeded and should drive a parallel response to today's crisis: addiction."

In the paper, "From Documenting Death to Comprehensive Care: Applying Lessons from the HIV/AIDS Epidemic to Addiction," researchers detail how the HIV/AIDS epidemic spurred a novel public health approach centered on human rights. That included biomedical breakthroughs and life-saving treatment, and community advocacy and activism played key roles. Fast forward 30 years and the global response to HIV/AIDS has attracted an unprecedented commitment of resources and international aid, and there are predictions for its end. Researchers assert that a parallel response is needed in response to the epidemic of addiction.

Similar to HIV/AIDS, many addiction victims are young, previously healthy and already stigmatized. Effective care is compromised by a public perception that only certain groups become addicts. The death toll of the two epidemics is comparable, but the response to opioid addiction is not yet as effective: every 19 minutes another American dies from an unintentional overdose.

Affecting 40 million Americans, or 15.9 percent of the population, addiction to drugs, alcohol and tobacco has a greater public impact than heart conditions, diabetes or cancer. Opioid use disorders are the fastest-growing type of drug problem. According to researchers, much of the current exposure to opioids is linked to the explosion of widely available, potent prescription painkillers that have an identical effect in the brain as heroin. Although many benefit from substantial pain relief and improved quality of life, prescription opioids now kill more people than heroin and cocaine combined. Researchers note that while prevalent, addiction has been marginalized as a social problem setting it apart from other diseases, with barriers to treatment ranging from stringent criteria for entry to limited availability of treatment.

Green participated in a Rhode Island community forum on drug overdose in February that drew hundreds to The Miriam Hospital. Speakers and participants spanned health officials, law enforcement, the medical community, addiction treatment providers and parents who've lost children to overdose. Rich and others are spearheading a R.I. "collaborative practice agreement" that allows anyone to walk into a Walgreens in R.I. and obtain naloxone (or Narcan) – a drug that quickly reverses an opioid overdose, along with training on how to use it.

Researchers described the need for a comprehensive prevention, diagnosis and treatment campaign to fight overdose, along with standard-of-care treatment models based on existing evidence. They propose more education for the medical community and that educational resources for addiction in medical training be on par with that of other chronic diseases. Also, as with HIV/AIDS, patients suffering from addiction should be involved in the design and implementation of programs and products designed to serve them.

Immediate steps that can address the catastrophic death toll from unintentional overdose include a balance of harm reduction and supply-side and demand-oriented interventions, such as: Regularly prescribe, train in use of, and distribute naloxone. Reformulate pain medications and decrease availability of painkillers through physical education, prescription drug-monitoring programs, and crackdowns on "pill mills." Increase access to evidence-based treatment, including medications like buprenorphine and methadone.

INFORMATION:

Funding to support the investigators, all of whom are affiliated with The Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights, has been received from The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), The National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Josiah D. Rich, M.D., M.P.H., is an attending physician at The Miriam Hospital (a member hospital of the Lifespan health system in Rhode Island) and professor of medicine and epidemiology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

About The Miriam Hospital

The Miriam Hospital is a 247-bed, not-for-profit teaching hospital affiliated with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. It offers expertise in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, men's health, and minimally invasive surgery and is home to the state's first Joint Commission-certified Stroke Center and robotic surgery program. The hospital, which received more than $23 million in external research funding last year, is nationally known for its HIV/AIDS and behavioral and preventive medicine research, including weight control, physical activity and smoking cessation. The Miriam Hospital has been awarded Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Services four times and is a founding member of the Lifespan health system. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Study reveals animal research bias in experimentation oversight committee membership

2014-04-01
Denver — Committees that are federally mandated to review, approve, and monitor the use of animals in experiments—called Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC)—are dominated by animal research interests, according to a study presented today (Wednesday April 2) at the 2014 Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) IACUC Conference in Denver. Using the federal Freedom of Information Act, researchers from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the University of California–San Diego School of Medicine obtained the current IACUC ...

Fruitfly study: Epilepsy drug target implications for sleep disruption in brain disorders

Fruitfly study: Epilepsy drug target implications for sleep disruption in brain disorders
2014-04-01
PHILADELPHIA — A new study in a mutant fruitfly called sleepless (sss) confirmed that the enzyme GABA transaminase, which is the target of some epilepsy drugs, contributes to sleep loss. The findings, published online in Molecular Psychiatry, were led by Amita Sehgal, PhD, head of the Chronobiology Program at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. The findings shed light on mechanisms that may be shared between sleep disruption and some neurological disorders. A better understanding of this connection could enable treatments that target both types ...

ED dental care treatment raises access, cost issues for policymakers, Rutgers study finds

2014-04-01
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – The use of emergency departments for dental care – especially by young adults in low-income communities – is presenting policymakers with a challenge, according to a Rutgers report which offers several remedies including expanding hours at the dentist's office. "Emergency departments are poorly equipped to deal definitively with dental and oral health needs," said Kristen Lloyd, senior analyst at Rutgers' Center for State Health Policy and lead author of the report. "Still, many people seek care in emergency departments for nontraumatic dental ...

Schools have limited success in reducing bullying, new analysis finds

2014-04-01
Two UCLA professors who conducted the most thorough analysis to date of studies on school bullying have found that K-12 schools' efforts to curtail bullying are often disappointing. The study revealed that schools are trying many different approaches to protect students, and while the more comprehensive programs have been the most effective, they require substantial commitment and school resources to be successful. "Band-Aid solutions, such as holding one assembly a year that discourages bullying, do not work," said Jaana Juvonen, a UCLA professor of psychology ...

Oxytocin, the 'love' hormone, promotes group lying, according to Ben-Gurion U. researchers

2014-04-01
BEER-SHEVA, Israel…April 1, 2014 – According to a new study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the University of Amsterdam, oxytocin caused participants to lie more to benefit their groups, and to do so more quickly and without expectation of reciprocal dishonesty from their group. Oxytocin is a hormone the body naturally produces to stimulate bonding. The research was published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). "Our results suggest people are willing to bend ethical rules to help the people close to ...

Factor present in gestational and type 2 diabetes could provide new treatment options

2014-04-01
New research reveals that both pregnant women with diabetes and with type 2 diabetics have high levels of a fat metabolite that impairs pancreatic cells from secreting insulin. The findings, which are published in the April 1 issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism, suggest that blocking the effects of this fat metabolite may help prevent and treat diabetes. In nearly one-fifth of pregnancies, diabetes can arise (called gestational diabetes), and when this happens, it puts the woman at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life. To gain better ...

Obesity primes the colon for cancer, according to NIH study

2014-04-01
Obesity, rather than diet, causes changes in the colon that may lead to colorectal cancer, according to a study in mice by the National Institutes of Health. The finding bolsters the recommendation that calorie control and frequent exercise are not only key to a healthy lifestyle, but a strategy to lower the risk for colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Paul Wade, Ph.D., and Thomas Eling, Ph.D., scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of NIH, led a collaborative team that made ...

Common molecular defect offers treatment hope for group of rare disorders

2014-04-01
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke Medicine researchers studying tiny, antennae-like structures called cilia have found a potential way to ease some of the physical damage of numerous genetic disorders that result when these essential cellular components are defective. Different genetic defects cause dysfunction of the cilia, which often act as sensory organs that receive signals from other cells. Individually, disorders involving cilia are rare, but collectively the more than 100 diseases in the category known as ciliopathies affect as many as one in 1,000 people. Ciliopathies are ...

Swimming pool urine combines with chlorine to pose health risks

2014-04-01
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A new study shows how uric acid in urine generates potentially hazardous "volatile disinfection byproducts" in swimming pools by interacting with chlorine, and researchers are advising swimmers to observe "improved hygiene habits." Chlorination is used primarily to prevent pathogenic microorganisms from growing. The disinfection byproducts include cyanogen chloride (CNCl) and trichloramine (NCl3). Cyanogen chloride is a toxic compound that affects many organs, including the lungs, heart and central nervous system by inhalation. Trichloramine has ...

Got acne? There's an App for that!

Got acne? Theres an App for that!
2014-04-01
CHICAGO --- Acne sufferers around the world are using an iPhone app created at Northwestern University to learn how certain foods affect their skin conditions. The app, called "diet & acne," can be downloaded from the iTunes app store for free. It uses data from a systematic analysis of peer-reviewed research studies to show people if there is or is not scientific evidence linking acne to foods such as chocolate, fat, sugar and whey protein. "Users may be surprised to learn that there is no conclusive evidence from large randomized controlled trials that have linked ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Soccer heading damages brain regions affected in CTE

Autism and neural dynamic range: insights into slower, more detailed processing

AI can predict study results better than human experts

Brain stimulation effectiveness tied to learning ability, not age

Making a difference: Efficient water harvesting from air possible

World’s most common heart valve disease linked to insulin resistance in large national study

Study unravels another piece of the puzzle in how cancer cells may be targeted by the immune system

Long-sought structure of powerful anticancer natural product solved by integrated approach

World’s oldest lizard wins fossil fight

Simple secret to living a longer life

Same plant, different tactic: Habitat determines response to climate

Drinking plenty of water may actually be good for you

Men at high risk of cardiovascular disease face brain health decline 10 years earlier than women

Irregular sleep-wake cycle linked to heightened risk of major cardiovascular events

Depression can cause period pain, new study suggests

Wistar Institute scientists identify important factor in neural development

New imaging platform developed by Rice researchers revolutionizes 3D visualization of cellular structures

To catch financial rats, a better mousetrap

Mapping the world's climate danger zones

Emory heart team implants new blood-pumping device for first time in U.S.

Congenital heart defects caused by problems with placenta

Schlechter named Cancer Moonshot Scholar

Two-way water transfers can ensure reliability, save money for urban and agricultural users during drought in Western U.S., new study shows

New issue of advances in dental research explores the role of women in dental, clinical, and translational research

Team unlocks new insights on pulsar signals

Great apes visually track subject-object relationships like humans do

Recovery of testing for heart disease risk factors post-COVID remains patchy

Final data and undiscovered images from NASA’s NEOWISE

Nucleoporin93: A silent protector in vascular health

Can we avert the looming food crisis of climate change?

[Press-News.org] Researchers identify similarities between HIV/AIDS and opioid addiction epidemics
Researchers offer immediate steps to address rise in deaths