Kratom is associated with more overdose deaths than previously reported

According to US health authorities, overdose deaths related to the herbal supplement kratom are more common than had previously been reported. A government report released Thursday indicates that kratom was the cause of 91 overdose deaths in 27 states. Officials previously said that they knew 44 nationally.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported figures after reviewing death certificates and toxicology reports for a period of 18 months.

Most of those who died also took heroin, fentanyl or other drugs. But kratom was the only substance detected in seven of the deaths.

The kratom comes from a plant native to Southeast Asia. It is sold as capsules and powders, claiming that it helps to relieve pain, anxiety and addiction. But kratom is not regulated by the FDA and health officials have expressed concerns about its safety.

Officials said it caused euphoric effects, such as opioid drugs at the root of the nationwide current overdose epidemic.

The research recently revealed a dramatic increase in the number of calls to poison control centers in the United States regarding the herbal supplement. A study published this year in the journal Clinical Toxicology revealed that calls for kratom had increased from 13 calls in 2011 to 682 two years ago, Ashley Welch of CBS News reported.

"The use of kratom has been associated with a variety of serious medical consequences, ranging from epileptic seizures to coma in adults, to severe withdrawal syndrome in newborns," he said. Henry Spiller, co-author of the study and director of the Central Ohio Anti-Poison Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital. said in a statement in February.

"People who choose to use kratom should be aware of the potential risks," he said. "This is not because it is currently classified as a herbal supplement that it is regulated or that it is safe."