New Study Looks at Opioid Use and Driving Outcomes Among Older Adults

A study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine examined the relationship between opioid use and driving among older adults, reports EurekAlert . "It's known that the side effects of opioid medications can compromise driving abilities, and we wanted to find out more about the current relationship between the two among an older population," said University of Colorado Anschutz's Emmy Betz. The authors examined data on 2,990 participants 65 to 79 years old being monitored for five years. Of the 2,949 participants with medication data, 169 reported currently taking an opioid, and having a higher self-reported level of pain in the past week. Older drivers currently taking an opioid were more likely to self-regulate and reduce their driving and to report lower self-rated driving ability than younger drivers. Older adults with lower incomes also were more likely to use opioids, but this could be because of a lesser ability to access alternative pain treatment like massage, physical therapy, and acupuncture. "It's encouraging that older adults appear to regulate their driving as a way to mitigate the negative effects of opioid medications," said Betz. "However, future research should look more closely at socioeconomic factors related to opioid use among older adults, as well as the effects of the painful medical conditions for which the opioids are being taken."