Opioids linked with deaths other than overdoses, study says
Opioids linked with deaths other than overdoses, study says
CHICAGO (AP) — Accidental overdoses aren’t the only deadly risk from using powerful prescription painkillers — the drugs may also contribute to heart-related deaths and other fatalities, new research suggests.
Among more than 45,000 patients in the study, those using opioid painkillers had a 64 percent higher risk of dying within six months of starting treatment compared to patients taking other prescription pain medicine. Unintentional overdoses accounted for about 18 percent of the deaths among opioid users, versus 8 percent of the other patients.
“As bad as people think the problem of opioid use is, it’s probably worse,” said Wayne Ray, the lead author and a health policy professor at Vanderbilt University’s medical school. “They should be a last resort and particular care should be exercised for patients who are at cardiovascular risk.”
His caution echoes recent advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, trying to stem the nation’s opioid epidemic. The problem includes abuse of street drugs like heroin and overuse of prescription opioids such as hydrocodone, codeine and morphine.
The drugs can slow breathing and can worsen disrupted breathing that occurs with sleep apnea, potentially leading to irregular heartbeats, heart attacks or sudden death, the study authors said.
UN: Risk that Rio Olympics will spread Zika is ‘very low’
GENEVA (AP) — There is “a very low risk” that the upcoming Rio de Janeiro Olympics will accelerate the spread of the Zika virus around the globe, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
After convening a meeting of its independent Zika experts, the U.N. health agency reaffirmed its previous advice that only pregnant women should skip the Aug. 5-21 games in Brazil, the epicenter of the ongoing outbreak.
The explosive spread of the Zika virus was declared a global emergency in February. The disease is largely spread by mosquitoes, but in rare cases can also be transmitted via sex. In most cases, Zika causes only mild symptoms like a fever and rash, but it is also responsible for severe birth defects including babies born with abnormally small heads and a rare neurological syndrome that can cause death or temporary paralysis.
After numerous outsiders raised concerns about whether or not the Rio games should be moved or postponed because of the Zika threat, WHO said the issue would be considered at its Tuesday meeting.
The expert group acknowledged that mass gatherings like the Olympics “can result in the amplification of transmission” but still insisted that “the individual risks in areas of transmission are the same whether or not a mass gathering is conducted.”
Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHO director of emergency programs, said that the increase in travel to Rio because of the Olympics would be “very, very marginal.”
FBI looking at whether Orlando gunman had a secret gay life
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The murky picture of Orlando gunman Omar Mateen grew more complex Tuesday with word that the FBI is investigating whether he had been a regular at the gay dance club he attacked and had been living a secret life as a gay man.
As victims described the bloody horror of the massacre during a riveting hospital news conference, investigators continued to gather information on the 29-year-old American-born Muslim — and took a close look at his wife, too — for clues to the attack that left 49 victims dead.
An official who was briefed on the progress of the case but insisted on anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation said authorities believe Mateen’s wife knew about the plot ahead of time, but they are reluctant to charge her on that basis alone.
A number of possible explanations and motives for the bloodbath have emerged, with Mateen professing allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call during the attack, his ex-wife saying he was mentally ill, and his father suggesting he was driven by hatred of gays.
On Tuesday, a U.S. official said the FBI is looking into a flurry of news reports quoting patrons of the Pulse as saying that Mateen frequented the nightspot and reached out to men on gay dating apps. The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Island mourns loss of 23 Puerto Ricans slain in Orlando club
PONCE, Puerto Rico (AP) — Nearly half of the people slain in an Orlando nightclub were Puerto Ricans, the island’s justice secretary said Tuesday, compounding the shock for the territory’s gay community and society as a whole.
Cesar Miranda, the island’s justice secretary, said 23 Puerto Ricans were among the 49 people killed, though it was not immediately clear how many were born on the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rican parents and how many had moved there from the island.
“Faced with this loss, I have been forced to reflect on all the social problems that led to this massacre: intolerance about gender preferences , discrimination against Latin Americans in the United States and broad access to weapons in that country,” he said. “That is why we must reaffirm our commitment to these three fronts in Puerto Rico and unite with our diaspora and the American people to continue taking steps toward equity.”
Roberto Padua, sub-secretary of Puerto Rico’s State Department, said in a phone interview that his agency is helping families bring the bodies of their loved ones back to the island.
He said authorities don’t know yet how many burials will take place in Puerto Rico, but that several families have requested help.