Thesis abstract:

«p»While the short-term medical consequences of heroin dependence are well-established, the long-term physical effects, including side effects from effective treatment, are much less understood. The Australian Treatment Longitudinal Treatment Study (ATOS) is an 18-20 year follow-up of a cohort of patients identified as dependent on heroin. This project is an opportunity to identify concurrent comorbidities, long term consequences of heroin dependence on physical health, and potential consequences from long term treatment of heroin dependence. Methadone and buprenorphine have long been established as the gold standard of treatment, but have potential cardiac, metabolic and endocrine complications. The pharmacology of these medications has also made transition between the two challenging, and finding novel methods to do this, and assess outcomes, is important for the advancement of treatment of opioid dependence.«/p»