The current opioid epidemic warrants a better understanding of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to opioid addiction. Here we report an increased prevalence of vitamin D (VitD) deficiency in patients diagnosed with opioid use disorder and an inverse and dose-dependent association of VitD levels with self-reported opioid use. We used multiple pharmacologic approaches and genetic mouse models and found that deficiencies in VitD signaling amplify exogenous opioid responses that are normalized upon restoration of VitD signaling. Similarly, physiologic endogenous opioid analgesia and reward responses triggered by ultraviolet (UV) radiation are repressed by VitD signaling, suggesting that a feedback loop exists whereby VitD deficiency produces increased UV/endorphin-seeking behavior until VitD levels are restored by cutaneous VitD synthesis. This feedback may carry the evolutionary advantage of maximizing VitD synthesis. However, unlike UV exposure, exogenous opioid use is no
Functionally Impaired Older Adults May Use/Misuse Cannabis, Rx Drugs Credit: Getty Images
HealthDay News â Older adults with functional impairments may be more likely to misuse prescription drugs and to use medical cannabis, according to a study published online May 20 in the
American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Benjamin H. Han, M.D., from the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues used data from the 2015â2019 cohorts of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to identify adults older than age 50 years. Cannabis use and prescription opioid and tranquilizer/sedative (mis)use were compared for adults with and without functional impairment.
Washington [US], June 6 (ANI): According to a new study, individuals who use methamphetamine are more likely to have health conditions, mental illness, and substance use disorders than those who do not consume the drug.
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Study suggests people who use methamphetamine likely to report several chronic conditions ANI | Updated: Jun 03, 2021 10:18 IST
Washington [US], June 3 (ANI): People who use methamphetamine are more likely to have health conditions, mental illness, and substance use disorders than people who do not use the drug, according to a new study.
The findings of the study were published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The study was led by researchers at the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at NYU School of Global Public Health.
The use of methamphetamine, a highly addictive and illegal stimulant drug, has increased in recent years, as have overdose deaths. Methamphetamine can be toxic for multiple organs including the heart, lungs, liver, and neurological system, and injecting the drug can increase one s risk for infectious diseases.