• About
  • Masthead
  • License Content
  • Advertise
  • Submit Press Release
  • RSS/Email List
  • Write for us
  • Contact us
2 Minute Medicine
No Result
View All Result

No products in the cart.

SUBSCRIBE
  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • AccountLog-in/out
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
2 Minute Medicine
  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • AccountLog-in/out
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
SUBSCRIBE
2 Minute Medicine
Subscribe
Home All Specialties Chronic Disease

Drug overdose an important cause of death amongst people experiencing homelessness

byGursharan SohiandMichael Pratte
January 11, 2022
in Chronic Disease, Emergency, Psychiatry, Public Health
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

1. 1 in 4 deaths of people experiencing homelessness in Boston, Massachusetts were attributable to drug overdose between the years 2003 and 2018.

2. Synthetic opioid and polysubstance abuse were lead causes of mortality in the more recent years of the study period.

Evidence Rating Level:  2 (Good)

Study Rundown: Drug-related death has become an increasingly important cause of mortality in North America and disproportionately affects people experiencing homelessness. Despite the significance of this public health crisis, overdose deaths and opportunities for intervention in this population remain understudied. The present study sought to describe patterns of substance use amongst people experiencing homelessness in an urban American city and understand major drug-related contributors to mortality over a 16-year time period. A cohort of 60,092 adults experiencing homelessness in Boston was identified. The mean follow-up duration was 8.7 years and the mean age of the cohort at the time of study identification was 40.4 years. 7130 deaths occurred amongst this cohort between 2003 and 2018, of which 1727 (24.2%) were due to drug overdose. The age- and sex-standardized overdose mortality rate was 12 times higher amongst people experiencing homelessness compared to the Massachusetts general population. The most common drugs implicated in overdose deaths were opioids, followed by cocaine and benzodiazepines. Notably, the rate of opioid-related deaths increased over the study period, particularly for synthetic opioids which were involved in 96.1% of all opioid-related deaths in 2018 compared to 0% in 2004. This study by Fine et al unequivocally paints a picture of health disparities amongst the urban population in a large, American city. Drug related deaths were significantly higher amongst people experiencing homelessness compared to those in the general population. Patterns of drug use and mortality were also explored in this study, with opioids accounting for a significant proportion of deaths in later years of the study. Strengths of this study include the large size of the cohort and rigorous data collection. The retrospective nature of this work renders it susceptible to bias from confounding variables. Finally, limited accurate data about this population necessitates reliance on a number of assumptions which may reduce the validity of reported findings.

Click to read this study in JAMA Network Open

Click to read an accompanying editorial in JAMA Network Open

Relevant Reading: Sheltering risks: implementation of harm reduction in homeless shelters during an overdose emergency

RELATED REPORTS

Obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive symptoms associated with an elevated risk of substance misuse

Spectrophotometric assays for methadone may be effective for diversion control

Telemedicine bridge clinics may be helpful for opioid use disorder treatment

In-Depth [retrospective cohort study]: A retrospective cohort was derived from a database of client encounters at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) between 2003 and 2018. Individuals in this program are eligible if they are unhoused at the time of registration. Data from the BHCHP or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were recorded through self-reporting or by observation. Mortality data were obtained through the state’s Department of Public Health death records using data linked from individuals identified through BHCHP data. The demographic breakdown of the 1727 drug-overdose deaths identified amongst the study cohort are as follows: 1271 (73.6%) were male, 456 were female (26.4%), 194 were Black (11.2%), 202 were Latinx (11.7%), and 1185 were White (68.6%). The age- and sex- standardized overdose-specific mortality rate amongst the study cohort was 278.9 per 100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI] 266.1-292.3), and was 23.2 per 100,000 person-years (22.8-23.5) in the general population. 91.1% of overdose deaths involved opioids, 36.6% involved cocaine and 16.2% involved benzodiazepines. The rate of opioid-related deaths increased from 161.2 to 340.2 per 100,000 person-years between 2004 and 2018, respectively. The standardized drug-related mortality rate in individuals experiencing homelessness compared to the general population was highest amongst Asian or Pacific Islander individuals (44.3, 95% CI 18.0-92.2) and lowest amongst Black individuals (5.5, 95% CI 4.8-6.3).

Image: PD

©2022 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.

Tags: nonmedical prescription opioid use (NPOU)opioid use disordersubstance usesubstance use disorder
Previous Post

In utero exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection not associated with neurodevelopmental deficits at 6 months

Next Post

Tirzepatide is superior to insulin glargine for management of type 2 diabetes and elevated cardiovascular risk

RelatedReports

Large spike in drug use-associated infective endocarditis linked with opioid epidemic
Chronic Disease

Obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive symptoms associated with an elevated risk of substance misuse

June 14, 2022
Implementation of pneumococcal vaccine programs linked to decreased antibiotic prescription
Wellness

Spectrophotometric assays for methadone may be effective for diversion control

April 26, 2022
No obesity paradox found between BMI, stroke, and death
Chronic Disease

Telemedicine bridge clinics may be helpful for opioid use disorder treatment

April 25, 2022
Prenatal antidepressant exposure may increase risk of poor motor development
Chronic Disease

Prenatal medication for opioid use disorder helps discharge infants back to mothers

April 22, 2022
Next Post

Tirzepatide is superior to insulin glargine for management of type 2 diabetes and elevated cardiovascular risk

#VisualAbstract: Arterial hyperoxia associated with mortality in critically ill children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit

#VisualAbstract: Drug-eluting stents reduced in-stent restenosis risk for high-grade intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis lesions compared to bare-metal stents

Patient Basics: Stroke Overview

Intravenous alteplase before endovascular treatment does not improve acute ischemic stroke outcomes

License Our Award-Winning Physician-Written Medical News and Visual Abstracts

2 Minute Medicine is the leading authoritative medical news licensing service, and the only with reports written by practicing doctors.

LICENSE CONTENT

2MM+ Premium Access

No ads & unlimited access to all current reports, over 9000 searchable archived reports, visual abstracts, Weekly Rewinds, and the online edition of The Classics Series™ textbook.

Subscription Options
2 Minute Medicine

2 Minute Medicine® is an award winning, physician-run, expert medical media company. Our content is curated, written and edited by practicing health professionals who have clinical and scientific expertise in their field of reporting. Our editorial management team is comprised of highly-trained MD physicians. Join numerous brands, companies, and hospitals who trust our licensed content.

Recent Reports

  • Relugolix combination therapy is efficacious for endometriosis-associated pain
  • Age-based products and longer interdose intervals may reduce the risk of cardiac disease following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination
  • OPTN and UNOS update policy regarding hepatocellular carcinoma [Classics Series]
License Content
Terms of Use | Disclaimer
Cookie Policy
Privacy Statement (EU)
Disclaimer

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.

  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.