Cocaine

ATLANTA — Among patients with ACS and a history of cocaine use, non-Hispanic Black patients were less likely than white patients to receive cardiac catheterization or revascularization, researchers reported.

Examination of positive urine drug screens of teenagers was not a reliable predictor for risk for death by external causes, according to a population-based retrospective cohort study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

The use of illicit drugs and excess alcohol was associated with elevated risk for hospitalization for incident atrial fibrillation, according to two studies presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

There were 81,230 drug overdose deaths in the United States in a 12-month period that ended in May — the highest number of overdose deaths ever registered in a similar time frame, according to the CDC.

Although opioid prescriptions decreased in the last year, the use and overdose rates of illicit drugs — including fentanyl and stimulants — have increased, according to a progress report released by the AMA Opioid Task Force.

Addiction treatment best practices should include pharmacotherapy plus cognitive behavioral therapy or another evidence-based therapy, according to results of a systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open.

A brief intervention appeared associated with lower drug use after 6 months among occasional users, according to study results published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Researchers have determined that carvedilol is a safe treatment option in patients with HF who have a cocaine use disorder. Further, treatment may be effective for those with reduced ejection fraction.

In 2016, Americans spent $145 billion on cannabis, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, according to a new report.