Mixed Bag

The fatality rate among hard drug users is 14 times higher than for the general population
A new study analyses the risk factors and excess mortality among heroin and cocaine consumers admitted to treatment in Spain. The results reveal that the fatality rate among consumers of both drugs is 14.3 times higher than for the general population, while among those only using cocaine, it is 5.1 times higher. For this study, published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, two groups of cocaine users were taken, one of 8,825 people that also consumed heroin and another of 11,905 people who did not use this substance. Eurekalert!

Acute Kidney Injury Associated with Increased Coronary Risk
Acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis may confer as much excess cardiovascular risk as diabetes, suggests a study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Journal Watch

Mind over matter: Beating pain and painkillers
Results of a study by Garland published online Feb. 3 in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, showed that the new treatment led to a 63 percent reduction in opioid misuse, compared to a 32 percent reduction among participants of a conventional support group. Additionally, participants in the new treatment group experienced a 22 percent reduction in pain-related impairment, which lasted for three months after the end of treatment. University of Utah

Pain sensitivity may be influenced by lifestyle and environment, twin study suggests
Researchers at King's College London have discovered that sensitivity to pain could be altered by a person's lifestyle and environment throughout their lifetime. The study is the first to find that pain sensitivity, previously thought to be relatively inflexible, can change as a result of genes being switched on or off by lifestyle and environmental factors – a process called epigenetics, which chemically alters the expression of genes. Published today in Nature Communications, the study has important implications for understanding pain sensitivity and could lead to new treatments aimed at 'switching off' certain genes epigenetically. Eurekalert!