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DALLAS, March 8, 2021 -- Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests triggered by opioid overdose are a significant cause of death among adults 25 to 64, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association, the nation's largest voluntary health organization focused on heart and brain health for all. The statement published today in the Association's flagship journal
Circulation.
In the U.S., opioid use disorder affects an estimated 2 million people each year and costs more than $78 billion in health care expenses. The opioid epidemic, which spans more than three decades, accounted for approximately 128 deaths a day in 2018, mostly among adults ages 25 to 55. And, more than 15% of the opioid overdose emergency medical service cases in 2016 included cardiac arrest.