HealthDay (8/22, Brown) reports that mixing marijuana with opioids “may leave users vulnerable to mental health issues,” research indicated. In addition, the 450-adults study revealed that “those who combined pot and opioids for pain were also more likely to abuse other drugs such as cocaine, alcohol and sedatives.” The findings were published in the July/August issue of the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Mixing Marijuana With Opioids May Not Be Good for Mental Health, “Shannon Brown, HealthDay, August 22, 2019

The New York Times (8/21, Reynolds) reports, “For women with serious depression, a single session of exercise can change the body and mind in ways that might help to combat depression over time, according to a new study of workouts and moods.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise published the study that found endocannabinoids increasing for prescribed exercise rather than “go-as-you-please exercise.”

Related Links:

— “The New York Times, “Gretchen Reynolds, The New York Times, August 21, 2019

The Washington Post (8/21, Cunningham) “The Health 202” blog reports “a new government survey shows opioid abuse is declining by double digits – welcome data to public health advocates and policymakers who are wrestling with an epidemic that has crippled communities across the nation.” The survey, released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on Tuesday, indicated that 11 percent “fewer Americans reported pain reliever misuse in 2018 compared with the year prior,” and that heroin use was down by approximately 15 percent.

In 2016, Americans Spent $145 Billion On Cannabis, Cocaine, Heroin And Methamphetamine , Report Finds Healio (8/21) reports research indicates that “in 2016, Americans spent $145 billion on cannabis, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine,” with “most spending…attributed to those who use drugs on a daily or almost daily basis.” Investigators arrived at these conclusions after using “multiple databases to collect information on illicit drug users and amounts of drugs purchased, including Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services.” The report’s findings were published on the RAND Corporation website.

Related Links:

— “The Health 202: Fewer Americans are abusing opioids. But the improvements vary dramatically by state., ” Paige Winfield Cunningham, The Washington Post, August 21, 2019

Healio (8/21, Demko) reports research indicated that “clinically meaningful improvement in PTSD symptoms compared with less than clinically meaningful or no improvement was linked to a 49% lower risk for incident type 2 diabetes [T2D].” The findings of the 1,598-patient study were published online Aug. 21 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Improvement in PTSD symptoms linked to lower risk for diabetes, “Savannah Demko, Healio, August 21, 2019

Business Insider (8/20, Akhtar) reports that nurses “are more likely to take their own lives,” researchers found in “what they said is the first nationwide investigation into nurse suicides in more than 20 years.” The study, published in Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, “found a suicide incidence of 11.97 per 100,000 people among women who are nurses, versus 7.58 per 100,000 for American women in general,” and “39.8 per 100,000 people, versus 28.2 per 100,000” for men.

Related Links:

— “Suicides among nurses are on the rise. Here’s why one of America’s fastest-growing jobs is facing a major crisis, “Allana Akhtar, Business Insider, August 20, 2019