Research estimates that one-third or more[1] of the unhoused population in the U.S. is age 50 or older.
Unhoused people of all ages face high rates[2] of chronic and serious illness. They also die at younger ages[3] compared with people who are not unhoused.
Yet, there are few options for palliative and end-of-life care for unhoused people.
Palliative care[4] is a type of medical care that addresses pain, symptom management...
The animal tranquilizers xylazine[1] and medetomidine[2] are in approximately one-third of the illegal opioids available in the U.S., including fentanyl[3], heroin[4] and oxycodone[5]. Animal tranquilizers enhance the user’s euphoric high from opioids, particularly in those who have developed a tolerance to the opioid[6]. But adding the tranquilizers to these already illicit drugs could keep naloxone[7], a medication known to prevent...
Alcohol, whether consumed regularly or only on special occasions, takes a toll on your body. From your brain and heart, to your lungs and muscles, to your gastrointestinal and immune systems, alcohol has broad harmful effects on your health[1] – including causing cancer.
Alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer[2] in the U.S., responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually. In...