Stimulant use driving hospitalisations and overdose deaths

In the news:

• An increase in hospitalisations and overdose deaths is being driven by use of methamphetamine, cocaine and stimulant medications, particularly in men.
• A study looking at the global burden of disease from Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol shows the impact of LDL is falling in rich countries but going up in poorer countries.
• Pioneer of nutritional psychiatry, Professor Felice Jacka has been awarded a prestigious prize for her work.
• Vitamin B6 supplements are still being widely purchased, despite warnings of potential side effects. Does the TGA need to be acting more quickly to crack down on manufacturers?

Guest

• Deakin Distinguished Professor Felice Jacka OAM, Director, Food & Mood Centre, Deakin University

References

• Rise in drug-related deaths and hospitalisations driven by stimulants, annual NDARC reports find
• Global Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol—Leveraging Estimation for Action | Cardiology | JAMA | JAMA Network
• Laureates of the 2026 L'Oreal UNESCO for Women in Science International Awards
• Vitamin B6: too much, too little, too late? An analysis of salestrends in Australia from 2023 to 2025