Adults in Their 50s Now Biggest Group Treated for Opioid Addiction

Adults ages 50 and older are the largest group seeking treatment for addiction to opioid painkillers and heroin in New York City, according to a new study. People ages 50-59 accounted for almost 36% of opioid treatment patients in 2012. In 1996, this age group accounted for only 8% of narcotic painkiller and heroin treatment patients, HealthDay reports. The study found a "pronounced age trend in those utilizing opioid treatment programs from 1996 to 2012, with adults aged 50 and older becoming the majority treatment population," lead researcher Dr. Benjamin Han of New York University said in a news release. Patients ages 60-69 rose from 1.5% to 12% between 1996 and 2012, the researchers report in the Journal of Substance Use and Misuse. "These increases are especially striking, considering there was about a 7.6 percent decrease in the total patient population over that period of time, and suggests that we are facing a never before seen epidemic of older adults with substance use disorders and increasing numbers of older adults in substance abuse treatment," Han said. While 56% of opioid addiction patients were 40 and younger in 1996, only 20% of patients fell into this age group in 2012. Among patients ages 60 and older, the researchers found a 10% increase in whites, a 4% increase in Hispanics, and a 14% decrease in blacks. Among patients in their 50s, the rate rose 9% for Hispanics, 6% for blacks, and 3.5% for whites. The researchers said they believe the increase in older adults being treated in opioid addiction programs is likely to continue into the next decade. "Opioid dependence is a chronic condition that often needs life-long treatment, and therefore many individuals who are currently in treatment will remain in treatment as they age," they wrote.