Lourdes Health Talk

It’s estimated that 78 people a day die from overuse of opioids. Use of these drugs, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl, has skyrocketed in recent years, fueled by pharmaceutical companies and doctors eager to treat patients’ chronic pain and by addicts obtaining them illegally.  According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, more people die of heart and breathing problems caused by opioid use than accidental overdoses.In this segment, Lourdes cardiologist Jason Smith, DO, explains how opiates can be effective for short-term pain relief, but over time, when used improperly or in high doses, opiates can cause dangerous cardiac manifestations, such as irregular heart rhythms, heart attack, stroke or cardiac arrest.