Research presented at the AAAAI 2019 Annual Meeting found that patients who are dependent on opioids are most likely to be diagnosed with asthma.

Study researchers explained that opioid use triggers a cell-level reaction commonly associated with allergic response.

“Opioid drugs such as morphine can directly activate the release of a substance called histamine from cells, specifically mast cells, in our body,” Roshni Naik, MD, assistant professor of clinical immunology at Mount Sinai, said in a press release. “Histamine is involved in allergic reactions and contributes to itching, hives and swelling. Since more than half of asthma is allergic in nature, we postulated that opioids may be linked to asthma.”

Opioids. Source: Getty

Naik stated that previous research has been conflicting, prompting them to study the relationship between opioid use and allergic asthma.

“We hypothesized that there is higher prevalence of asthma among patients with opioid dependence who are addicted or dependent on prescription pain killers or heroin,” she said.

The researchers compared data from opioid dependent adults who received care from a single New York City hospital between 2013 and 2017. National prevalence of asthma was compared to prevalence among patients with opioid misuse disorder.

Naik and colleagues found that national prevalence of asthma, according to the CDC, is 8.3%—compared to 17.2% in patients with opioid misuse disorder. Additionally, the researchers found that women with opioid addiction may be at higher risk for asthma, with 25% of these women diagnosed with asthma—compared to 9.7% nationally.

The researchers explained that while current guidelines do not address treating patients with this risk profile, there are still steps that can be taken to address both conditions.

“Patients with severe asthma should follow up regularly with their primary care doctor or see an asthma specialist to maintain control of their asthma,” Naik concluded. “Patients who are addicted to opioids should seek a healthcare provider in combating their addiction.”