Alcohol Use Disorder
Injectable naltrexone tops disulfiram, acamprosate as safer option in alcohol use disorder
Injectable naltrexone had a more favorable gastrointestinal and liver safety profile compared with other medications for alcohol use disorder, according to a research letter published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Few receive effective treatment for mental health, substance use
Less than 7% of individuals with mental health or substance use disorders receive effective treatment worldwide, according to a cross-sectional analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry.
Addiction, depression, cognition: How GLP-1s may benefit the brain
As the body of research expands on the potential of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists to address various health issues, recent data suggest they may improve brain health.
Barriers persist to accessing substance use disorder treatment despite greater need
Although the prevalence of substance use disorder increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the receipt of treatment declined before rebounding, according to a research letter published in JAMA Network Open.
Q&A: Surgeon General’s warning exposes public ‘knowledge gap’ of alcohol links to cancer
There are approximately 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases annually in the U.S. and 20,000 deaths due to alcohol-related cancer, according to an HHS press release.
Q&A: Dry January trend ‘could be a wake-up call’ on risk for alcohol-related liver disease
Dry January has become an increasingly popular trend in which people abstain from alcohol use for 1 month to reset their health after the holiday season. But, for some, it could be a wake-up call about their struggles with alcohol.
Psilocybin motivates personality changes among adults with alcohol use disorder
Psilocybin-assisted therapy induced positive personality changes in adults with alcohol use disorder, which may help to improve long-term outcomes by limiting traits that encourage relapse such as impulsiveness, according to study results.
Hispanic patients with alcohol use disorder face greater odds for hepatitis, cirrhosis
Hispanic patients hospitalized for alcohol use disorder were more likely to develop alcohol-associated hepatitis, decompensated cirrhosis and related complications compared with non-Hispanic white patients, according to published data.
Top addiction stories of 2024: The emerging role of GLP-1s; historic rise in hallucinogens
Preliminary evidence indicates that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and similar weight-loss drugs may also help treat substance use disorders.
GLP-1s may curb alcohol consumption in those with obesity
Some diabetes medications could help reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related health problems, particularly in those with obesity, results of a systematic review published in eClinicalMedicine suggested.