The Washington Post (4/27, Goldstein) reports, “The Biden administration released guidelines Tuesday to make it easier for [physicians] and other health-care practitioners to prescribe the drug buprenorphine to treat” patients with “opioid addiction, softening restrictions widely criticized as hampering the response to the opioid epidemic.” Under the new guidelines, physicians, “physician assistants, nurse practitioners and other [healthcare professionals] no longer will need to undergo training before they are allowed to prescribe” buprenorphine, “as long as they are prescribing the medication for no more than 30 patients at a time.”

The AP (4/27, Johnson) reports under the new guidelines, prescribers will also “no longer have to refer patients to counseling services.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (4/27, Collins) reports researchers surveyed “322 adults with COVID and a sudden change in smell or taste,” finding “56% reported decreased enjoyment in life and 43% admitted feeling depressed after losing their sense of smell.” The findings were published in the American Journal of Otolaryngology.

Related Links:

— “Nothing to Sniff at: Depression Common for People With COVID-Linked Smell Loss “Sarah D. Collins, HealthDay, April 27, 2021

Healio (4/26, Gramigna) reports, “An increase in the consumption of foods rich in polyunsaturated fats may decrease suicide risk,” researchers concluded in a study that sought to “assess whether having distinctive fatty acid profiles was linked to observed fatty acid levels among a sample of 800 U.S. military members who died by suicide between 2002 and 2008 and 800 demographically matched living controls, as well as whether an association existed between those latent classes and suicide and mental health diagnoses.” The findingswere published online Feb. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Higher polyunsaturated fat consumption may reduce suicide risk “Joe Gramigna, Healio, April 26, 2021

Healio (4/26, Monostra) reports, “Adults with severe mental illness and diabetes need more intensive interventions and greater support to overcome barriers to diabetes self-management,” investigators concluded in a 78-participant study that included “39 were people with severe mental illness and diabetes, nine…family members” and “30…health care staff members.” According to the study, “some feelings, such as low mood, depression, stress or anxiety, were linked to concerns about diabetes and derailed attempts at diabetes self-management,” and almost “all participants with severe mental illness and diabetes were also challenged by the burden of managing other health problems other than their mental illness and diabetes.” The findings were published online March 26 in Diabetic Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Greater support, interventions key to diabetes care for adults with severe mental illness “Michael Monostra, Healio, April 26, 2021

HealthDay (4/26, Murez) reports research indicates that “calming tunes at bedtime seem to help older people struggling with insomnia,” investigators concluded after examining data from “five studies with 288 participants.” The findings of the systematic review and meta-analysis were published online in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Related Links:

— “Lullaby Effect: Music Can Speed Your Way to Sleep, Study Finds “Cara Murez, HealthDay, April 26, 2021