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01 / 05
Ozempic Patients Have Much Lower Risk of Opioid Overdose

Recursive Adaptation | Drug Use

Ozempic Patients Have Much Lower Risk of Opioid Overdose

“A new study published this morning in JAMA Network Open shows large reductions in the likelihood of opioid overdose among patients receiving semaglutide (Ozempic) for diabetes compared to other diabetes medications. This is the fourth paper this year from Dr. Rong Xu and co-authored by NIDA Director Nora Volkow showing dramatically lower risks of substance use disorders among patients receiving semaglutide.

‘In this study, we observed a 40%-60% reduction in opioid overdose for semaglutide compared with other anti-diabetics, including other GLP-1RAs in patients with OUD and comorbid type 2 diabetes. These findings provide real-world evidence supporting future randomized clinical trials and mechanistic studies,’ Dr. Xu told us.

This study adds to the rapidly accumulating body of evidence from randomized controlled trials and patient health record studies showing broad reductions in craving and consumption of alcohol, opioids, nicotine, and cannabis among people taking current generation GLP-1 medications like semaglutide.”

From Recursive Adaptation.

New York Times | Health & Medical Care

Mutated DNA Restored to Normal in Gene Therapy Advance

“Researchers have corrected a disease-causing gene mutation with a single infusion carrying a treatment that precisely targeted the errant gene.

This was the first time a mutated gene has been restored to normal.

The small study of nine patients announced Monday by the company Beam Therapeutics of Cambridge, Mass., involved fixing a spelling error involving the four base sequences — G, A, C and T — in DNA. The effect was to change an incorrect DNA letter to the right one. The result was a normal gene that functioned as it should, potentially halting liver and lung damage of patients with a rare disorder.”

From New York Times.

The Guardian | Health & Medical Care

New Treatment Could Cure One in 20 Cases of High Blood Pressure

“Half a million people in the UK with dangerously high blood pressure – a ‘silent killer’ that causes tens of thousands of deaths a year – could be cured by a new treatment.

Doctors have developed a technique to burn away nodules that lead to a large amount of salt building up in the body, which increases the risk of a stroke or heart attack.

The breakthrough could mean people with primary aldosteronism – which causes one in 20 cases of high blood pressure – no longer have to have surgery or spend their lives taking the drug spironolactone to lower their risk of a stroke or heart attack.”

From The Guardian.

Curiosities | Health & Medical Care

Industrialized People Sleep More than Hunter-Gatherers

“Much has been written about how modern lifestyles mean we are no longer getting enough sleep, unlike our ancestors who lived in less technologically advanced times. But an analysis of 54 sleep studies conducted around the world has found that people in small, non-industrialised societies actually get less sleep than those in more industrialised regions.”

From New Scientist.

Construction & Property | Accidents, Injuries & Poisonings

Cambodia’s Significant Milestone in Landmine Clearance Efforts

“On 24 February 2025, Prime Minister Samdech Thip Dei Hun Manet highlighted the remarkable achievements in Cambodia’s ongoing mine clearance campaign over the past 32 years. Since its inception in 1992, the initiative has successfully cleared nearly 3,300 square kilometres of land across 15 provinces, significantly enhancing safety and quality of life for residents…

In 2024 alone, over 273 square kilometres were cleared, destroying 17,853 anti-personnel mines, 228 anti-tank mines, and 91,111 explosive remnants of war. This concerted effort has led to a dramatic decrease in casualties, with the number plummeting from 4,320 in 1996 to just 49 in 2024.”

From Construction & Property.