Research Briefs

Medicine · Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

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Abstract editorial illustration accompanying the article: Review compares medicines for opioid use disorder across 103 trials
Health & Medicine
High evidenceReview

Review compares medicines for opioid use disorder across 103 trials

Researchers combined results from 103 randomized trials involving 26,624 people with opioid use disorder to compare medication-based treatments. Heroin-assisted therapy and higher-dose methadone were associated with greater treatment retention, while buprenorphine and higher-dose methadone improved abstinence measures in some analyses. The review found limited evidence that any treatment reduced criminal activity, all-cause mortality, or overdose-related deaths.

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Abstract editorial illustration accompanying the article: Medetomidine in illicit opioids can cause severe withdrawal
Biology

Medetomidine in illicit opioids can cause severe withdrawal

A review finds that medetomidine, a veterinary sedative increasingly found in illicit opioids since 2022, can cause sedation and slow heart rates during intoxication. Its withdrawal can involve severe vomiting, nervous-system dysfunction and disturbances in automatic body functions, sometimes requiring intensive care.

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