In Prince's Age Group Risk of Opioid Overdose Climbs at Middle Age

This is related to the previous post about the increasing number people dying in middle age due to toxic poisoning.  Evidence is mounting that Prince may have died of a drug overdose. While the medical examiner hasn't yet released the results of the autopsy and toxicology scans in this case, opioid overdose in middle age is all too common.

In 2013 and 2014, according to the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people ages 45 to 64 accounted for about half of all deaths from drug overdose. Prince died on April 21 at his home and music studio, Paisley Park, in Minneapolis. He was 57.

There are a number of scenarios that explain the increase risk of overdose, which is often accidental, for people over 55.

Imagine you're in your 50s. You injured your shoulder a while back and it just hasn't gotten better. You take prescription painkillers — an opioid like OxyContin — to help with the pain. Let's say you've been taking it for a couple of years. Your body has built up a tolerance to the drug, and now, you need to change it up to get the same amount of relief.

When it comes to the potential for overdose, says Boston Medical Center epidemiologist Traci Green, this is one of the most dangerous crossroads.  "We oftentimes see that the dose will increase with an individual over time or they might rotate or switch to another medication to experience pain relief. And so, at each rotation or change, there's a risk [of accidental overdose] because you're moving from one drug to another," she says.

Read more about the why this age group is more susceptible to overdose:  http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/05/05/476902228/risk-of-opioid-overdose-climbs-at-middle-age