Open AccessThe relationship between opioid and sugar intake: Review of evidence and clinical applications
Author(s) -
David Mysels,
Maria A. Sullivan
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of opioid management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.331
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 2375-0146
pISSN - 1551-7489
DOI - 10.5055/jom.2010.0043
Subject(s) - medicine , opiate , opioid , intensive care medicine , glycemic , buprenorphine , weight gain , endogenous opioid , public health , psychiatry , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology , body weight , pathology , receptor
Opioid dependence poses significant public health risks arising from associated morbidity and mortality caused by accidents, infectious diseases, and social ramifications of crime and unemployment, among other complications. Opioid use, acute and chronic, is also associated with weight gain, glycemic dysregulation, and dental pathology. The literature supporting the connection between opiate use and development of preference for sweet tastes is reviewed, and further association with dental pathology, weight gain, and loss of glycemic control are considered. Additionally, the impact of sweet tastes on the endogenous opioid system, as pertaining to analgesia, is also discussed. The authors discuss the clinical implications in relation to the aforementioned conditions while treating the opiate-dependent patient.