Journal of opioid management
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To evaluate patients' perceptions of the adequacy of analgesia for moderate-to-severe acute pain and the influence of opioid-related side effects in outpatient pain management. ⋯ In the P3 study, one of the largest outpatient surveys conducted in pain management, moderate-to-severe acute pain continued to be widely undertreated in outpatient settings in the United States, particularly among older patients. Opioids with improved tolerability profiles might help to alleviate this undertreatment of moderate-to-severe acute pain.
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The OPRM1 gene was studied for DNA methylation in opioid dependence and possible paternal contribution to epigenetic inheritance of altered methylation profiles. ⋯ Increased DNA methylation in the OPRM1 gene is associated with opioid dependence. Hypermethylated CpG sites located in OPRM1 promoter may potentially block the binding of Sp1 and other transcription activators, thus leading to OPRM1 silencing. The increased DNA methylation in sperm may suggest a way of epigenetic heritability of opioid abuse or dependence phenotypes.