Drug overdose deaths have quadrupled among older US adults

Deadly drug overdoses amongst older adults within the US have quadrupled over the previous twenty years, indicating that the issue isn’t solely affecting younger folks.

Drug overdose deaths have steadily increased in the US since 1999, largely because of the proliferation of prescription and illicit opioids like morphine, oxycodone and fentanyl.

“There’s been a whole lot of deal with overdose amongst youthful folks,” says Chelsea Shover on the College of California, Los Angeles. “We wished to grasp to what diploma is that occuring amongst older adults.”

She and her colleagues collected information on overdose deaths in adults 65 years and older from the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s WONDER database. The database tracks each fatality recorded within the nation, together with the particular person’s age, race, gender and reason for dying.

The researchers discovered that between 2002 and 2021, charges of deadly overdoses quadrupled amongst older adults. In 2002, three out of each 100,000 adults 65 years and older within the US died from a drug overdose. In 2021, that quantity elevated to 12 out of each 100,000. Charges had been highest amongst non-Hispanic Black folks and Native People, although Asian and non-Hispanic white folks had larger charges of intentional overdose deaths. For reference, 62 out of every 100,000 adults between 35 and 44 years outdated within the US died from drug overdose in 2021.

Most deadly drug overdoses amongst older adults in 2021 concerned illicit medication, however 37 per cent concerned prescription drugs. Opioids, together with prescription opioids, performed a task in 57 per cent of overdose deaths.

“In comparison with different parts of the inhabitants, older adults are typically prescribed extra issues, together with extra medication that may result in overdose, whether or not alone or mixed,” says Shover. Additionally they don’t metabolise medication as effectively, which will increase overdose threat, says Alexis Kuerbis at Hunter School in New York, who wasn’t concerned within the examine

“Understanding the scope of this drawback is vital to enact higher insurance policies to supply extra equitable healthcare for older adults,” says Shover. For instance, Medicare – the federal medical insurance programme for older adults within the US – isn’t required to cowl psychological well being and substance use disorder treatment to the identical diploma as different well being situations, she says.