[ad_1]
TKratom, an herbal medicine, has been the headline of local news in recent years, both in its benefits and its costs. As its role in society grows, the lack of factual information about kratom security becomes more and more evident. To fill this gap, Ohio researchers have studied the number of calls to poison control centers related to kratom in the United States. The study, released Thursday, gave surprising results.
In the paper, published in Clinical ToxicologyResearchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus and Ohio State University report that the number of calls to poison control centers related to kratom has increased dramatically over a seven-year period. National Poison Data System data showed that 1,807 calls to poison centers between 2011 and 2017 involved kratom.
In 2011, the number of calls regarding kratom was only 13 and in 2017 it was 682 – a 52.5% increase. Of the 1,807 calls, 35% of cases involved an additional substance in addition to kratom, 88.9% of adults aged 20 years or older and 7.6% of adolescents. In addition, the symptoms described in these calls related to kratom – convulsions, confusion, agitation and high heart rate – especially glued to the authors.
However, while data indicates a growing burden for public health, C. Michael White, Pharm.D., Professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Connecticut, who studies kratom and does not not participated in the study, believes that it is crucial to understand can – and can not – interpret from these data.
Understand the results
In his article, Dr. Henry Spiller, director of the poison center of central Ohio at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and his colleagues note that 65% of the exposures documented in the study took place between 2016 and 2017. We can not, however, badume that the use of kratom only increases.
There are no reliable figures on the number of people taking kratom in the United States. Without knowing this number, it is difficult to draw conclusions about whether the number of unwanted cases reflects dangerous products, risky use, or simply more people taking them. drug.
White says the data provides valuable information. They show, for example, that the use of kratom seems to increase in adults and adolescents and that the drug itself carries certain health risks, and not only when it is badociated with d? other medicines.
There are, however, crucial limits to what we can draw from these figures, he said.
"Unfortunately, without reliable data on the use (the demoninator of the equation when determining the rate of adverse events), it is unclear what these event trends mean undesirable effects, "he said. reverse. "Were there 1,807 adverse events per million product purchases, per 10 million product purchases or something else?" In other words, even if there is an increase in the total number of people experiencing the negative effects of kratom, these numbers do not provide any idea of whether kratom has become riskier.
"There are four possible explanations for the phenomenon of increasing adverse events over time, and they do not necessarily have to exclude each other," White adds. "First, kratom could become more and more dangerous over time. Second, the use of kratom increases with time, which increases the number of events observed. Third, people are more aware of kratom, so that poison control officers, first responders, family members, and emergency room staff request and test it. Fourth, some people are starting to use higher doses of kratom to change their risk profile. "
Unfortunately, the new study does not indicate which of these four explanations is correct. In addition, White notes, heightened public awareness of kratom could make him an "innocent bystander caught in undesirable events he has not caused."
Spiller acknowledges that the study can not Explain the increase – but there is clearly an increase.
SiriusXM
$ 4.99 / month
Stream SiriusXM anywhere, including your phone, your computer and many smart devices. Get more than 200 channels plus content on demand. Music without advertising, sports, comedy, conversation, etc. Subscribe for $ 4.99 / month for your first 6 months. See the details of the offer.
Subscribe now
An atypical opioid
Much of the kratom security controversy is related to the potential similarity of this drug to opioid medications, which are at the root of the country's devastating opioid overdose crisis. The FDA, for its part, has labeled the drug as a dangerous opioid, and previous research has suggested that kratom actually has opioid properties.
But other scientists have shown that its unique chemistry makes it more similar to atypical opioid tramadol than conventional opioids such as fentanyl or morphine. Spiller makes the same comparison.
"None of these are effects that you expect from an effect similar to an opiate," says Spiller. reverse. "It's a key feature. There is almost a double action with these alkaloids. "
In summary, there are still a ton of questions about the risks and benefits of kratom – too much to allow us to draw definitive conclusions about the drug from Spiller data. Nevertheless, the fact that it is a relatively unregulated gray market herb supplement and very easy to buy online worries doctors like him. To understand if the benefits of kratom outweigh its risks, other studies like this one should be done.
It's hard to find good data
The lack of scientific context around kratom has characterized the public health debate for years, making kratom use statistics extremely controversial. In 2018, for example, the FDA released a series of case reports showing evidence of 44 kratom-related deaths since 2009, but critics quickly reported that almost all of these cases involved other deadly drugs. . The new study shows a similar effect: of the 11 deaths among 1,807 cases, all but two were related to other drugs, including alcohol, fentanyl and cocaine.
Although the study provides a necessary insight into the public health burden of kratom, it raises more questions than it solves. For now, White says people can stay safe in many ways.
"I personally look at this data and warn people that kratom is not safe," he says. "If you want to use kratom, use only products certified by an outside laboratory as being free from contamination and adulteration. Use the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time. He adds that people should not drive under the effect of kratom or take other drugs.
Spiller summarizes the situation simply: "It's not because it's natural that it's safe."
[ad_2]
Source link
