What are the shipping rates? When can I expect the delivery?
The shipping rates vary depending on the shipping type you choose and on the country of the destination. Please check the table below:
28 Oct, 2008
Breast Is Best In Fight Against Childhood Asthma
A University of Sunderland academic has discovered a link between breast feeding and a lower incidence in asthma in young children.
Dr Mohammad Shamssain and his research team recently completed a two phase study into the prevalence and severity of asthma in children in the North-East. Their research focussed specifically on the positive benefits of breast feeding in the prevention of asthma, and also the effect of obesity on the prevalence of asthma among young children.
Dr Shamssain and his team analysed 7,000 school children in the region aged 6-15 years.
The team discovered that children who had been breast fed for six months or more had a significantly reduced risk of asthma – particularly among young boys.
Dr Shamssain says: “Breastfed children showed lower prevalence rates of asthma, rhinitis and eczema, and the effect of breast feeding was more evident in boys than girls. Asthma and wheeze were resolved significantly earlier in breastfed children than those who were not breastfed.”
The University of Sunderland team discovered that breast feeding lowers the incidence of allergic disorders, and that children breast fed from 4-9 months had a significantly lower risk of asthma. Those breast fed up to 7-9 months had lower instances of persistence wheezing and coughing.
Dr Shamssain says: “Breast feeding is a cost-effective approach to a significant prevention of allergic disease in children. Our research demonstrates that exclusive breast feeding prevents the development of allergic diseases in children.”
In the second part of the study Dr Shamssain’s team discovered that both boys and girls in the highest BMI percentile, and are therefore classified as obese, have higher prevalence rates of asthma and respiratory symptoms (wheeze, cough, breathlessness and exercise-induced wheezing) than non-obese children.
Dr Shamssain says: “The association between overweight and exercise-induced wheezing is stronger in boys than girls. In boys, the risk of being overweight is associated with exercise-induced wheezing, life-time asthma, and current wheeze. In girls, the risk of being overweight is mainly associated with exercise-induced wheezing.
“These results demonstrate that obesity is a definite risk factor in asthma among young children, and there are gender differences regarding the respiratory risk of obesity.”
Dr Shamssain recently presented his findings at the European Respiratory Society in Berlin.
Prevention and long-term treatment of asthma. It is also used to relieve allergy symptoms. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.
Cholesterol is a type of fat called a lipid. The body uses it for many things, such as making new cells. Your liver makes the cholesterol that your body needs. You also get cholesterol from the foods you eat.
Your body needs some cholesterol pills. But if you have too much, it starts to build up in your arteries. (Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.) This is called hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis . It is usually a slow process that gets worse as you get older.
To understand what happens, think about how a clog forms in the pipe under a kitchen sink. Like the buildup of grease in the pipe, the buildup of cholesterol narrows your arteries and makes it harder for blood to flow through them. It reduces the amount of blood that gets to your body tissues, including your heart. This can lead to serious problems, including heart attack and stroke.
To find out how you are doing, compare your total cholesterol number to the following:
Best is less than 4.1 mmol/L (160 mg/dL).
Borderline-high is 4.1 mmol/L to 6.1 mmol/L (160 mg/dL to 240 mg/dL). Even borderline-high cholesterol makes you more likely to have a heart attack.
High is 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL) or above.
Your doctor may recommend different target levels for you, depending on your overall health and any special health concerns you may have.
What are the symptoms?
High cholesterol doesn't make you feel sick. But if cholesterol builds up in your arteries, it can block blood flow to your heart or brain and cause a heart attack or stroke.
By the time you find out you have it, it may already be clogging your arteries. So it is very important to start treatment even though you may feel fine.
What are the different kinds of cholesterol?
Cholesterol travels through the blood attached to a protein. This package of cholesterol (a lipid) and protein is called a lipoprotein. Lipoproteins are either high-density or low-density, based on how much protein and fat they have.
Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are the “bad” cholesterol. LDL is mostly fat with only a small amount of protein. It can clog your arteries. If you have high cholesterol, your doctor will want you to lower your LDL.
High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are the “good” cholesterol. HDL is more protein than fat. It helps clear the bad cholesterol from your blood so it does not clog your arteries. A high level of HDL can protect you from a heart attack.
Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood that can affect your health. If you have high triglycerides and high LDL, your chances of having a heart attack are higher.
It may help to think of HDL as the “Healthy” cholesterol and LDL as the “Lousy” cholesterol. Or you could remember that HDL should be High and LDL should be Low.
Experts have come up with the best level for each type of cholesterol. Compare your numbers to these targets:
LDL should be less than 2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL). LDL increases your risk of heart problems, so the lower your LDL, the better. A level of 4.1 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) or above is high.
HDL should be more than 1.0 mmol/L (40 mg/dL). HDL over 1.5 mmol/L (60 mg/dL) helps protect against a heart attack. HDL below 1.0 mmol/L (40 mg/dL) increases your risk of heart problems. The higher your HDL, the better. A high HDL number can help offset a high LDL number.
Triglycerides should be about 1.7 mmol/L or less. A level above 1.7 mmol/L may increase your risk for heart problems.
Your doctor may recommend different target levels for you, depending on your overall health and any special health concerns you may have.
What causes high cholesterol?
Many things can cause high cholesterol, including:
Diet. Eating too much saturated fat and cholesterol can raise your cholesterol. Saturated fat and cholesterol are in foods that come from animals (such as beef, pork, veal, milk, eggs, butter, and cheese), many packaged foods, stick margarine, vegetable shortening, and snack foods like cookies, crackers, and chips.
Weight. Being overweight may raise triglycerides and lower “good” HDL.
Activity level. Not exercising may raise “bad” LDL and lower HDL.
Overall health. Diseases such as hypothyroidism can raise cholesterol. Smoking may lower HDL.
Age. Cholesterol starts to rise after age 20. In men, it usually levels off after age 50. In women, it stays fairly low until menopause. After that, cholesterol levels rise to about the same levels as in men.
Family. Some people inherit a rare disease called a lipid disorder. It can cause very high total cholesterol, very low HDL, and high triglycerides. If you have this problem, you will need to start treatment at a young age.
How is high cholesterol diagnosed?
Doctors use a blood test to check cholesterol.
A fasting cholesterol test (also called a lipoprotein analysis) is the most complete test. It measures total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. You cannot have food for 9 to 12 hours before this test.
A simple cholesterol test can measure total cholesterol and HDL. You can eat before this test. Sometimes doctors do this test first. If it shows you have high cholesterol or low HDL, then you will get a fasting cholesterol test.
How is it treated?
The two main treatments are lifestyle changes and medicines. The goal of treatment is to lower your "bad" LDL cholesterol and reduce your risk of a heart attack. You may also need to raise your "good" HDL cholesterol. Order Lipitor Online helps reduce your risk of heart problems.
Some lifestyle changes are important for everyone with high cholesterol. Your doctor will probably want you to:
Follow the Generic Zocor diet. The goal is to reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat. Eating saturated fat raises your cholesterol. The TLC diet helps you learn to make better food choices by picking lean meats, low-fat or non-fat products, and good fats like olive and canola oils.
Lose weight, if you need to. Losing just 2.3 to 4.5 kilograms (5 to 10 pounds) can lower your cholesterol and triglycerides. Losing weight can also help lower your blood pressure.
Be more active. Exercise can raise your “good” HDL and may help you control your weight.
Stop smoking, if you smoke. Quitting can help raise your HDL and improve your heart health.
Sometimes lifestyle changes are enough on their own. But if you try them for a few months and they don't lower your cholesterol enough, your doctor may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medicine called a statin. You also may need medicines to lower triglycerides or raise HDL.
You may need to start taking medicine right away if your cholesterol is very high or if you have another problem that increases your chance of having a heart attack. People who have a high risk for heart attack benefit from taking higher doses of statins to lower their LDL cholesterol as much as possible. The more these people can lower their LDL, the less likely they are to have a heart attack.1 To find out your risk, use this Interactive Tool: Are You at Risk for a Heart Attack?
It is important to take your medicine just the way your doctor tells you to. If you stop taking your medicine, your cholesterol will go back up.
You will need to have your cholesterol checked regularly. Your results can help your doctor know if lifestyle changes have helped or if you need more or different medicines.
Allergy treatment usually starts with avoiding the substances (allergens) that cause your signs and symptoms. If you can minimize your exposure to allergens which may include everything from pollen, mold, pet dander and dust mites to certain foods, drugs and chemicals you'll have less sneezing, coughing and itching.
But because you can't always avoid everything that triggers your allergies, your doctor may prescribe allergy medication. The right medication or combination of medications depends on the allergy symptoms you have. Allergy medications are available in pill, liquid, nasal spray, eyedrop and topical (applied to the skin) forms, some over-the-counter and others by prescription only. To make the best choice, get advice from your doctor, and find out which medications are best for different symptoms.
The main types of allergy medications are:
Corticosteroids. These medications help prevent and treat the inflammation associated with allergic conditions.
Antihistamines. These drugs block histamine, an inflammatory chemical released by your immune system during an allergic reaction.
Decongestants. These drugs relieve nasal and sinus congestion.
Leukotriene modifiers. These medications block the effects of leukotrienes, inflammatory chemicals released by your immune system during an allergic reaction.
Mast cell stabilizers. These preparations prevent the release of histamine.
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids help prevent and treat the inflammation associated with most allergic conditions, although the site and severity of inflammation varies. Except for some over-the-counter skin creams, corticosteroid medications usually are available only by prescription. They include:
Nasal sprays. Corticosteroid medications sprayed in the nostrils are the preferred treatment for hay fever because they help prevent and relieve nasal stuffiness, sneezing and an itchy, runny nose. Examples include budesonide - Rhinocort, mometasone (Nasonex), fluticasone (Flonase) and triamcinolone (Nasacort). Although these medications aren't usually immediately effective, you may start to notice improvement after you've used them regularly for days or even a week or two. Nasal corticosteroids are generally safe for extended use. Mild side effects may include an unpleasant smell or taste, or irritation, crusting and bleeding in your nose. Nasal irritation may be especially noticeable during the winter. Rarely, more serious side effects can include sinus damage and infection. Unlike steroids taken by mouth or inhaled deeply through an inhaler or nebulizer, most nasal steroids don't appear to reduce bone density or affect growth in children. Still, to be on the safe side, doctors usually prescribe the lowest effective dose of nasal corticosteroids.
Eyedrops. Corticosteroid drops formulated for the eyes relieve the redness, tearing and itching caused by hay fever and allergic conjunctivitis. Examples include dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexair, others), fluorometholone (Eflone, Fluor-Op, others) and prednisolone (AK-Pred, Econopred, others). They shouldn't be used if you have glaucoma or an eye infection. They can cause side effects such as blurred vision. Because they've been shown to cause birth defects in animals, you may be advised to avoid them if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Also, if you wear contact lenses, corticosteroid eyedrops increase your risk of eye infections, so you may be advised to switch to eye glasses during treatment.
Skin creams. Best for relieving the scaling and itching caused by eczema (atopic dermatitis), corticosteroid skin creams come in different strengths. Low-potency skin creams include hydrocortisone (Allercort, Dermacort, others). Medium to very high potency skin creams include triamcinolone (Aristocort, Flutex, others). Although such skin creams are usually safe, they can sometimes cause skin irritation and discoloration.
Pills, liquids. Oral corticosteroids such as prednisone (Cordrol, Dexasone, others) are sometimes used to treat severe allergy symptoms. Because the long-term use of such medications can cause severe side effects such as cataracts, osteoporosis and muscle weakness, they're usually prescribed only for short periods of time.
Antihistamines
Antihistamines block the action of histamine, an inflammatory chemical released by your immune system during an allergic reaction. Blocking histamine reduces such symptoms as redness, swelling, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, and hives (urticaria). Prescription and over-the-counter antihistamines include:
Pills, liquids. Over-the-counter oral antihistamines include diphenhydramine (Benadryl), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) and clemastine (Tavist). Because these older, first-generation antihistamines may make you sleepy, avoid using them before driving or operating heavy machinery. Newer, second-generation antihistamines — such as loratadine - Generic Claritin, which is available over-the-counter — are less likely to cause sedation. Fexofenadine - Generic Allegra is a nonsedating prescription antihistamine. Another prescription antihistamine, cetirizine - Zyrtec, has an intermediate risk of causing drowsiness or driving impairment.
Nasal sprays. The prescription antihistamine azelastine (Astelin) is effective for hay fever, but may cause drowsiness.
Eyedrops. Prescription eyedrops include emedastine (Emadine), levocabastine (Livostin) and olopatadine (Patanol). Side effects may include redness, tearing, headache and mild stinging or burning. Antihistamine eyedrops increase the risk of eye inflammation for contact lens wearers, so you're safer wearing glasses during treatment.
Decongestants
Decongestants relieve nasal and sinus congestion caused by hay fever, as well as eye congestion caused by allergic conjunctivitis. Usually available over-the-counter, they include:
Pills, liquids. Many decongestants contain pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, Actifed, others), sometimes in combination with another drug. Medications such as Claritin-D, for example, combine pseudoephedrine with an antihistamine. Because oral decongestants elevate blood pressure, you should avoid them if you have high blood pressure (hypertension). Oral decongestants can also exacerbate the symptoms of prostate enlargement, making urination more difficult.
Nasal sprays. Examples include phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine) and oxymetazoline (Afrin). Don't use a decongestant nasal spray for more than two or three days at a time because, after longer use, you may develop severe congestion as soon as you stop.
Eyedrops. Examples include tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride (Visine). Although these eyedrops are generally safe, your eyes may become persistently red if you overuse them.
Leukotriene modifiers
These drugs block the effects of leukotrienes, inflammatory chemicals released by your immune system during an allergic reaction. Such medications have proved most effective in treating allergic asthma, but they also relieve hay fever. Leukotriene modifiers are only available by prescription. They're produced in pill and chewable tablet form. Examples include montelukast - Singulair, zileuton (Zyflo) and zafirlukast (Accolate). Headache is the most common side effect of montelukast, and nausea or upset stomach is the most common side effect of zileuton. Headache and nausea are sometimes side effects of zafirlukast.
Mast cell stabilizers
Mast cell stabilizers prevent the release of histamine, the same inflammatory chemical that antihistamines stop from binding to cells in the mucous membranes. Mast cell stabilizers may also reduce inflammation associated with hay fever and allergic conjunctivitis. They include:
Nasal spray. Available over-the-counter, the nasal spray cromolyn sodium (NasalCrom, Children's NasalCrom) has no serious side effects but may make the nasal passageways sting and burn, causing increased sneezing. Cromolyn sodium works best when you take it before your symptoms develop. Some people need to use the spray three or four times a day.
Eyedrops. Several different mast cell stabilizer eyedrops are available by prescription, but none are sold over-the-counter. Cromolyn sodium (Crolom) is available in eyedrop form, as are slightly different mast cell inhibitors, including lodoxamide (Alomide), pemirolast (Alamast) and nedocromil (Alocril). Cromolyn sodium and lodoxamide may make the eyes burn and sting, while pemirolast may cause chills, coughing, sneezing and sore throat. Nedocromil may cause blurred vision or dry, itchy eyes.
If you are taking any other medications or you have a chronic health condition, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any treatment for allergies, to be sure you're not at risk of a drug interaction or other adverse effect.
Many people are tempted by ads that use celebrities to tout liquid fasting diets for weight loss. Ads claim quick and easy weight loss with use of such products. Very obese patients may be referred to these types of diets. Their diets are carefully supervised by their healthcare provider.
Such programs may be right for obese persons who have serious weight-related medical problems. Rapid weight loss is the primary advantage of using these diets. This may be helpful in motivating the individual to continue with the program. This may help to support lifestyle changes which are needed for continued weight loss. However, while these diets may promote large amounts of weight loss, they are also associated with health risks. They should not be used without medical oversight.
Medically supervised fasts are very low calorie diets which provide from 400 to 800 calories per day. While most of these diets are low in calories, the protein provision is very high. The purpose of these diets is to promote fat loss, not muscle loss. The high protein content helps prevent large losses of muscle tissue. Electrolytes, vitamins and minerals are also supplemented.
Proper use of these diets requires close monitoring and follow-up. To promote lasting weight loss pills, lifestyle changes must be made by the dieter while on the fast. Ideal programs include:
exercise,
behavior modification, and
nutrition counseling.
To achieve lasting weight loss, commitment must be given to making real changes in eating patterns. Individuals are who not committed will gain back their weight.
Contact your physician or healthcare provider for more information concerning weight loss using medically supervised fasts.
http://www.baptistonline.org/health/library/
8 Feb, 2008
When To Call a Doctor
Seek care immediately if you use medication to treat an erection problem (erectile dysfunction) and the erection lasts longer than 4 hours.
Seek care immediately if you have taken phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (such as Viagra, Levitra, Cialis) in the past 24 hours and are having chest pain. Tell your health professional you are taking this medication. Do not use any form of nitroglycerin if you have chest pain and have taken Viagra Soft, Levitra, or Cialis in the past 24 hours.
Call a health professional if erection problems occur with:
Any type of injury to the back, legs, buttocks, groin, penis, or testicles.
A loss of pubic or armpit hair and an enlargement of the breasts.
Make an appointment to see a health professional within 1 to 2 weeks if an erection problem occurs more than 25% of the time and the problem:
Occurs with a persistent backache.
Occurs after you start taking a new medication or change the dose of a medication.
Is affecting your self-image or sense of well-being.
Has not improved despite self-care.
If your erection problem is occasional, there is no reason to call your health professional. If it occurs frequently but does not bother you or your partner, you may or may not choose to call your doctor. However, an erection problem that develops suddenly may be a sign of a disease; it is recommended that you see your doctor.
Watchful Waiting
Watchful waiting is a period of time during which you and your health professional observe your symptoms or condition without using medical treatment. A single episode of an erection problem is often a temporary and easily reversible problem. Do not assume it will happen again. If possible, forget about it and expect a more successful experience the next time. If you or your partner is concerned about it, talk about the problem and openly discuss your fears and anxieties.
If self-care has not helped after 2 weeks and you are concerned about your inability to have an erection, see a health professional who has experience in dealing with erection problems.
Who To See
Some health professionals, including doctors and mental health professionals, may not feel comfortable discussing sexuality and erection problems. Ask your health professional if he or she feels comfortable with and has experience in working with men who have erection problems.
The following health professionals can evaluate symptoms of erection problems:
Cialis, or Super Viagra, is used to treat erectile dysfunction, more commonly known as impotence. A man is impotent if he cannot achieve or sustain an erect penis for sexual activity. Cialis (tadalafil), is an oral treatment for erectile dysfunction.
The chemical designation is pyrazino[1,2:1,6]pyrido[3,4-b]indole-1,4-dione, 6-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2,3,6,7,12,12a-hexahydro-2-methyl-(6R,12aR)-. It is a crystalline solid that is practically insoluble in water and very slightly soluble in ethanol. Cialis is available as film-coated, almond-shaped tablets for oral administration. Each tablet contains 5, 10, or 20 mg of tadalafil and the following inactive ingredients: croscarmellose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hypromellose, iron oxide, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium lauryl sulfate, talc, titanium dioxide and triacetin.
According to a recent news release by Bayer/GSK, ninety percent (90%) of men reported improved erections when taking Cialis. Get to know Cialis, the first tablet for erectile dysfunction (ED) that gives you up to 36 hours to choose the moment that's right for you and your partner. Cialis is the latest innovation by pharmaceutical and drug manufacturer Eli Lilly in an attempt to capture the lucrative international anti-impotence market.
The erectile dysfunction drug Viagra may have found a new, potentially life-saving use in hospital pediatric intensive care units, researchers report.
Australian researchers gave the drug to 15 babies with congenital heart disease who were being weaned from inhaled nitric-oxide therapy, a treatment that ICUs use to help these infants survive.
The researchers found that a dose of Viagra prevented a common life-threatening complication called rebound pulmonary hypertension. They also found that it significantly reduced the amount of time the babies spent on mechanical ventilation and in the ICU.
"Rebound pulmonary hypertension is a very common problem," said Dr. Steven Abman of The Children's Hospital in Denver, who was not part of the study. "This is the most rigorous study that's ever been done to demonstrate that Viagra can prevent this complication."
The study results were published in the November issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Viagra is useful for treating both erectile dysfunction and preventing rebound pulmonary hypertension because it affects pathways involved in both conditions.
"Viagra enhances the body's levels of cyclic-GMP, a naturally occurring substance that relaxes arteries and reduces their pressure, which is why its primary indication is for men with erectile dysfunction," explained the study's lead researcher, Dr. Lara Shekerdemian of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.
"However, cyclic-GMP is abundant in the lungs and is the molecule via which nitric oxide acts as a dilator of pulmonary arteries," Shekerdemian said. "That's why its use was explored in the setting of pulmonary hypertension in the newborn."
In the study, Shekerdemian and colleagues gave a single dose of Viagra to 15 infants with congenital heart disease who were undergoing withdrawal from nitric oxide, which is used to relax pulmonary blood vessels in mechanically ventilated lungs. Another 14 infants undergoing withdrawal were given placebo.
None of the Viagra-treated infants developed rebound pulmonary hypertension compared to 10 of the placebo-treated infants. After more than 24 hours, all of the infants who developed rebound hypertension were given Viagra during a subsequent and successful attempt to wean them from nitric oxide.
The Viagra-treated infants also spent less total time on a mechanical ventilator than the placebo-treated infants -- a little over 28 hours compared to 98 hours -- and had a considerably shorter stay in the intensive care unit (47.8 hours vs. 189 hours).
"Although we expected to see an avoidance of rebound, we were not expecting to see these additional benefits," Shekerdemian said. "Any intervention that smoothes their course in the intensive-care unit would have at least a short-term positive influence on their recovery from their underlying condition."
Unless there's some reason for not using Viagra, Shekerdemian said that it should be routinely used as infants are weaned from nitric oxide. "We certainly do so now in our pediatric intensive-care unit," she said.
Many hospitals are already doing just that. "I think it already has become standard clinical practice, because the idea of using Viagra for this is not new," Abman said. "What's new is that this is the first study to look at it with a nice protocol in which they randomized patients and controlled in a blinded way. So it verifies what we've already been doing in clinical practice."
Shekerdemian and her team are now conducting a similar study in the Royal Children's Hospital's Neonatal Intensive-Care Unit to see if Viagra can prevent rebound pulmonary hypertension in premature infants.
Viagra Helps COPD Patients Control Pulmonary Blood Pressure
The drug sildenafil, popularly known as Viagra, may help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease control the illness-related blood pressure spikes in the heart's pulmonary artery, a new study found.
The medication, in addition to its use as a popular treatment for impotence, has already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of the chronic version of such blood pressure spikes, known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The drug has been marketed specifically for this purpose under the trade name Revatio. Another drug -- bosentan -- is also approved for similar purposes.
The new research suggests that sildenafil may help all chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients -- even those not diagnosed with full-blown PAH -- who experience potentially dangerous pulmonary arterial blood pressure increases both at rest and following exercise.
The research was led by Dr. Sebastiaan Holverda of the department of pulmonary medicine at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Holverda and his VU colleagues were to present their findings Wednesday at a Salt Lake City meeting organized by the journal Chest.
According to the American Lung Association, COPD is actually a catch-all for two lung diseases that often strike in tandem -- chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In both cases, airflow is obstructed, impeding normal breathing.
Smoking is the leading cause of COPD, responsible for between 80 percent and 90 percent of all cases in the United States. More than 11 million Americans are estimated to have the illness, and more than 122,000 die from it each year. Women appear to be slightly more at risk than men.
There's no known cure for the disease, and medications primarily take aim at symptom relief and slowing the progressive disability the illness brings.
Pulmonary hypertension -- the incurable condition of continuous high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery located in the right ventricle of the heart -- is one of many serious complications that can strike COPD patients. PAH causes the artery, which is responsible for delivering blood from the heart to the lungs, to work harder than normal. A weakening of the heart muscle can ensue over time, increasing the risk of heart failure and even death.
The Dutch researchers noted that pulmonary hypertension is typically mild to moderate among COPD patients but is particularly aggravated while exercising.
Faced with the combined COPD-PAH threat, the Dutch team explored the potential benefit of treating at-risk chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with sildenafil both while at rest and during exercise. The drug works by shifting the activity of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase, reducing arterial blood pressure by dilating the smooth muscle of blood vessels that line the lungs. As these vessels expand, blood flow increases, the researchers explained.
The study authors focused on 12 patients who had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and were suspected of having PAH. Throughout the study, right heart blood pressure was tracked among all 12 patients by inserting a thin plastic tube into the pulmonary artery -- a procedure known as cardiac catheterization. Cardiac blood pressure was measured at rest and just after all the patients cycled for three minutes.
Then, the study participants were given 50 milligrams of oral sildenafil; 45 minutes later, resting and post-exercise blood pressure readings were taken again.
Holverda and his colleagues found that half the patients had PAH. But, both non-PAH and PAH patients experienced significant cardiac blood pressure increases when exercising.
Sildenafil appeared to control such increases after exercise, reigning in pulmonary blood pressure to markedly lower levels -- higher than at rest, but lower than non-medicated post-exercise readings. And, the non-PAH patients appeared to experience pulmonary blood pressure reductions after taking the drug, both while resting and exercising.
The authors concluded that the drug may help COPD patients -- whether they have developed PAH or not -- quickly control their pulmonary blood pressure in some situations.
Dr. Bartolome R. Celli, chief of pulmonary care at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston, applauded the Dutch study but called for more research.
"Pulmonary arterial pressure -- when it is elevated -- is a poor prognostic sign and reducing its levels should be of help," he said. "However, more testing is needed to see if those changes in pulmonary arterial pressure are translated into better clinical outcomes and not into any unwanted side effects."
Could a widely used treatment for depression be a remedy for osteoporosis?
Researchers have discovered that the drug Prozac also increases bone mass, at least in adult mice.
"Treating animals for six weeks with Prozac resulted in an increase in trabecular bone mass," said study lead author Ricardo Battaglino, assistant member of the staff in the department of cytokine biology at the Forsyth Institute in Boston. "It was a pretty significant 60 percent increase."
Trabecular bone is one of two main types of bone and makes up most of the spongy interior of the majority of bones.
Although it's way too early to advocate popping Prozac to reverse or stop bone loss, experts say it's a tantalizing lead for future research.
"For several reasons, people need to be cautious because fluoxetine [the generic name for Prozac] has central nervous system effects," said Dr. Grant Mitchell, chief of psychiatry at Northern Westchester Hospital Center in Mount Kisco, N.Y. "But it is interesting that current treatments for bone loss in osteoporosis do not take this approach, so the idea that we could at some point have another approach to reducing bone loss or even rebuilding new bone is actually exciting. Having more options would be great."
The study, which was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, is expected to be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry.
Previous research, some of it by the same team, had found that serotonin receptors were commonly expressed on the surface of bone cells. Serotonin receptors govern the entry of serotonin -- a molecule that helps transmit signals between neurons and is implicated in anxiety and depression -- into cells.
Prozac is a member of a group of antidepressants called "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors" (SSRIs) that act on this receptor.
The fact that these receptors populated bone cells "was surprising for us," Battaglino said, "because we were taking bone cells and serotonin, two molecules that apparently didn't have much to do with each other."
The next question was whether Prozac, which has an effect on serotonin, also exerted an influence on bone cells and, ultimately, bone mass.
For this study, laboratory mice were treated with Prozac for six weeks. The investigators were specifically interested in seeing if the drug stimulated new bone formation under normal conditions and if it blocked bone loss caused by inflammation or by loss of estrogen after taking out the ovaries.
Prozac both spurred the formation of new bone under normal conditions and reversed overall bone loss triggered by inflammation.
The drug was administered both systemically (like taking a pill) and locally (directly to the bone), and the effects were observed with both delivery methods, the researchers reported.
"They developed a way to deliver locally to the bone, which makes more sense," Mitchell pointed out. "The idea there would be to avoid the [potential] brain effects."
Oddly, a prior study using Prozac found that the drug actually hindered bone growth. The discrepancy may have been due to the way bone mass or density was measured and also to the fact that it involved children, not adults, Battaglino said.
In the new study, Prozac was not effective in female mice without circulating estrogen (i.e. after their ovaries had been removed). In those cases, Prozac "did not prevent bone loss associated with estrogen deficiency," Mitchell said. "It looks like, to be effective in relation to bone loss, Prozac needs to be in the presence of estrogen." This has implications for women moving into menopause who lose estrogen and have an increased risk of osteoporosis, he said.
The findings need to be replicated and, of course, tried in humans, but, given the number of people taking Prozac, the implications could be enormous.
"Fluoxetine is one of the most widely prescribed psychoactive drugs in this country and most likely the world, and it's been like that for at least 15 or 20 years," Battaglino said. "From the public health point of view, this would be pretty relevant."
The jury is still out on whether other SSRIs -- such as Celexa, Paxil and Zoloft -- might have the same effect on bone, Battaglino added, since similar tests on those drugs haven't yet been performed.
"This could be a class effect for SSRIs," he said. "However, it is known that in addition to blocking the serotonin transporter, Prozac can target other molecules -- for instance, some nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and even some serotonin receptors. So, this effect could be specific for Prozac. The experiments will have to be done to answer the question."
Cola may not be so sweet for women's bones, according to new research that suggests the beverage boosts osteoporosis risk.
"Among women, cola beverages were associated with lower bone mineral density," said lead researcher Katherine Tucker, director of the Epidemiology and Dietary Assessment Program at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.
There was a pretty clear dose-response, Tucker added. "Women who drink cola daily had lower bone mineral density than those who drink it only once a week," she said. "If you are worried about osteoporosis, it is probably a good idea to switch to another beverage or to limit your cola to occasional use."
The report was published in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
About 55 percent of Americans, mostly women, are at risk for developing osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
In the study, Tucker's team collected data on more than 2,500 participants in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, averaging just below 60 years of age. The researchers looked at bone mineral density at three different hip sites, as well as the spine.
They found that in women, drinking cola was associated with lower bone mineral density at all three hip sites, regardless of age, menopause, total calcium and vitamin D intake, or smoking or drinking alcohol. Women reported drinking an average of five carbonated drinks a week, four of which were cola.
Bone density among women who drank cola daily was almost 4 percent less, compared with women who didn't drink cola, Tucker said. "This is quite significant when you are talking about the density of the skeleton," she said.
Cola intake was not associated with lower bone mineral density in men. The findings were similar for diet cola, but weaker for decaffeinated cola, the researchers reported.
The reason for cola's effect on bone density may have to do with caffeine, Tucker said. "Caffeine is known to be associated with the risk of lower bone mineral density," she said. "But we found the same thing with decaffeinated colas."
Another explanation may have to do with phosphoric acid in cola, which can cause leeching of calcium from bones to help neutralize the acid, Tucker said.
One expert agrees that women should reduce the amount of cola they drink.
"I would expect this finding," said Dr. Mone Zaidi, director of the Mount Sinai Bone Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City. "It's probably a caffeine-related problem."
Women should limit their caffeine intake, Zaidi said. "Caffeine interferes with calcium absorption, which results in less bone formation," he said.
This can be a problem for younger women who never develop peak bone density, Zaidi noted. "Younger women who have a lot of coke will not form bone to an extent their peers would; so, years later, in menopause, they are going to be disadvantaged," he said.
Propecia Increases Hair Weight And Quality, Improves Scalp Coverage: Presented at ADV
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS -- September 29,1999 -- The first-ever pill for male hair loss holds new promise for millions of men, following the results of a new study.
The treatment, Propecia (finasteride 1mg) has been proven to significantly increase hair weight and improve hair quality - making hairs thicker and longer in addition to increasing their number. This improvement in hair quality is good news for men who are concerned about their hair loss because improved hair quality provides improved scalp coverage.
Dr. Vera Price, of the Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, presented findings from the Hair Weight Study for the first time today at the 8th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology meeting, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Results from a study involving 66 men taking either one Propecia tablet daily or placebo showed that after 96 weeks of treatment, Propecia increased hair growth on the scalp by improving the weight of hair.
Furthermore, the beneficial effects of Propecia continued throughout the two-year study period. The difference in total scalp hair coverage between the men taking Propecia and those taking placebo became greater as the study progressed - that is, men taking Propecia continued to grow more hair, thicker hair and longer hair, while those taking placebo were gradually losing hair.
The net improvement in hair weight between men treated with Propecia compared to those treated with placebo was 35.8 percent (P<0.001) after 96 weeks.
"The increase in hair weight produced by treatment with finasteride 1mg as demonstrated in this latest study, reflects the beneficial effects of the drug on the key aspects of hair quality. These aspects include increased hair number, shown in previous studies as well, and additionally improved hair thickness and hair length," said Dr. Price.
Hair weight is a quantitative, reliable measure of hair growth and provides an integrated measure of changes in hair growth rate and total hair mass (length, hair thickness and hair number). Hair growth rate and total hair mass determine hair quality, and improved hair quality provides improved coverage of the scalp. Therefore, hair weight is an accurate way to measure the cosmetic benefits of treatment for male pattern hair loss.
By using phototrichogram methodology it has been shown that Propecia actually stimulates resting hair follicles to grow, thereby increasing the total number of growing hairs at any one time (Van Neste, et al.). These additional growing hairs observed in treated patients have now been shown to grow longer and thicker, signifying an improvement in hair quality and an improvement in scalp coverage.
Evidence of the cosmetic benefits of Propecia can be fully substantiated by worldwide clinical trial results. Propecia after two years of treatment has been shown to prevent further hair loss in five out of six men treated (83 percent, v. 28 percent placebo) and to re-grow hair that visibly increased scalp coverage in two out of three men (66 percent, v. 7 percent placebo).
The world's first hair loss pill for men is only available by prescription from a doctor and has proven to be well tolerated in clinical trials. Drug-related adverse events occurred in less than 2 percent of men taking Propecia. These side effects went away in all men who discontinued therapy and also disappeared in most men who chose to continue taking Propecia.
Propecia was first launched in the United States in 1997. It is currently available in most European countries and 22 other countries worldwide.
Propecia is administered as a 1mg oral tablet once daily. It is not indicated for use in women or children. It is a product of Merck, Sharp & Dohme.
The average male has four to eight spontaneous erections every night while he sleeps. They usually occur during the REM stage, when dreaming is most common.
When a doctor wants to know whether a patient's difficulty achieving an erection is due to physical or mental reasons, one way to find out is to fit the patient's penis with a sensor and see whether or not the patient's dream erections are working properly. If not, the problem is probably physical.
History of Viagra
Viagra was initially developed a heart condition called angina, during the testing period for this drug it was found to give an erection to men. The drug was patented in 1996, approved in 1998 making viagra the first official drug to treat erection problems and being made available for sale later that year. The success of this drug is over whelming. You can get viagra on perscription from your doctors or on numerous websites after consultation (a mere questionaire). The fact is, it has improved the sex lives of millions men and women around the world. Annual sales of Viagra in the period 1999 - 2001 exceeded .750,000,000.
It was first thought that Viagra would lead to a drop in the market for traditional remedies which came from specific body parts of endangered species. This is highly unlikely as the traditional remedies is a treatment not just for erectile dificinency e.g. the Rhinoceros horns are used for high fever. Further on it is unclear that natural remedies will be able to compete with Viagra, due to its aphrodisiac properties.
Since Viagra's release, there has been an increase in 'fake viargra' being sold on the interne which looks like viagra (blue diamond pill) will the companies name, Pfizer engraved on it. These have proven to be dangerous and you must be careful where you buy viagra. Check out our purchasing viagra guide.
Pfizer's worldwide patents on Viagra will expire in 2011 - 2013. The UK patent held by Pfizer on the use of Viagra as treatment of impotence has been invalidated in 2000 because of obviousness; this decision was upheld on appeal in 2002.
http://www.lidrock.com/viagra.htm
15 Apr, 2006
Viagra and the Mountains
Researchers Say the Drug May Help Performance at High Altitude, Help Soldiers Fight in Afghanistan
As the commercials continually remind us: Viagra is all about performance.
Now it turns out, that's not just referring to in the bedroom.
Researchers say the drug, approved for erectile dysfunction, could eventually help some athletes train at high altitudes and soldiers fight in the mountains of Afghanistan.
In a study at Stanford University, some volunteers riding stationary bicycles and breathing through masks to simulate the low oxygen conditions found at 12,700 feet, improved their times for six kilometers by an average of 39 percent after taking Viagra.
The drug, which became an instant blockbuster for Pfizer in 1998, works by causing blood vessels to relax - not only in the penis but in the lungs.
Last year, the company won approval for the drug, also known as sildenafil, to treat a medical condition called pulmonary hypertension, or high fluid pressure in the lungs. Pulmonary hypertension is also one of the effects of exercising in oxygen-poor environments such as high altitudes.
"It provides a pretty clear advantage to some people," said Annie Friedlander, the senior author of the study, which appears in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
It does not help everyone. Only four of the 10 riders saw their times improve - 10 minutes, 48 seconds with Viagra compared to 15 minutes when they took a placebo.
Researchers are not certain why only some volunteers responded to the drug, but they noticed that they were the ones whose times had suffered the most at high altitudes. Viagra, it seems, allowed them to make up the performance they had lost.
None of the riders saw any improvement from the drug at sea level, and none reported an erection during the trials.
The next step: The U.S. military plans to test Viagra, at high altitude, on about a dozen soldiers later this summer.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2111548
10 Apr, 2006
Women can benefit from Viagra
Viagra may help some women
Women can benefit from taking the impotence drug Viagra, scientists have claimed.
Research by a team from the University of Boston has found that the drug can benefit women who have had a hysterectomy or who have gone through the menopause.
In both cases, women experience a loss of production of female hormones that can lead to sexual problems, such as loss of sensation and lubrication.
Dr Jennifer Berman tested the drug on 17 women who had either had a hysterectomy or gone through the menopause.
Each woman got either Viagra or a dummy pill, and three months later the women who got Viagra were switched to a placebo and the women who had been given sugar pills got Viagra.
Dr Berman and the patients did not know which woman got which pill until the end of the study.
Viagra, whose technical name is sildenafil, works by increasing the effects of nitric oxide, a common body chemical, which in turn gets more blood flowing into the genitals.
Dr Berman, who will present her findings to a meeting of the American Urological Association, said: "Sildenafil did appear to significantly increase blood flow and pH and pH is an indicator of lubrication."
"Subjectively, with regard to lubrication, sensitivity, the ability to have orgasm, and satisfaction, the women noted a significant difference."
Emotional problems
Dr Berman has carried out another study at Boston University with 48 women, aged 22 to 71.
While not so carefully controlled - the women all got Viagra and knew it - there was a statistically significant difference.
She said: "It does appear to be Viagra because there are physiological changes that can't be faked."
However, Viagra failed to work for women in the second study who had psychological problems with sex.
These included poor body image, a history of sexual abuse, or marital trouble.
Dr Berman said: "Those women don't respond to Viagra or any drug.
"Although there are physiological, medical reasons why women have sexual complaints, there are emotional and relational consequences to sexual dysfunction that are relevant to women."
She added that it was more difficult to tell if a woman had sexual problems.
"While men can define their sexual function in terms of rigidity, for women it doesn't work that way," she said.
Pfizer, the manufacturers of Viagra, say that seven million prescriptions have been written for the drug worldwide since its launch last year.
A spray could have a faster effect than a pill
Impotent men could benefit from Viagra in five to 10 minutes instead of up to an hour by taking the drug through the nose, researchers say.
They have developed a nasal spray form of the anti-impotence drug that they say works up to 12 times faster than the average pill.
They also said that the faster action would prevent users taking a double dose of the drug, which could lead to harmful side effects.
Nasal delivery
Professor Anwar Hussein, a researcher at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, said he and Professor Lewis Dittert developed the nasal spray.
He said they have patented the technology and want to license it to Pfizer.
"Sometimes patients taking Viagra are embarrassed because they wait an hour or longer and still there's no effect, especially if they've taken the pill with meals," Professor Hussein.
Frustrated patients then sometimes take another pill in an attempt to speed the effect. This creates the risk of adverse side effects, Professor Hussein said.
Since Viagra went on the market last year, approximately 130 men have been reported to have died after taking it.
Key
"The key" to the nasal spray "was to find how to make Viagra very water soluble so the dissolved drug can be used through the nose", Professor Hussein said.
They tested nasal drops in rats and found that it took effect "within five to 10 minutes", Professor Hussein said.
"Our version will be so quick and convenient to use and would definitely be more popular than the pills, which just take too long to work."
He said he wants Pfizer to take up the licence and start tests of the spray on humans.
Romance
But Pfizer, the company that makes Viagra, said that it had not received complaints about the drug's speed of action.
Andy Burrows, a spokesman for the company, said the researchers were operating entirely independently of the company.
He said the company had no plans to develop a faster working form of the drug.
Although Viagra's licence says that users should allow up to an hour for it to take effect, performance depended on the individual and could be as fast as 20 minutes, he said.
But the company was working on a wafer form which, although no faster than the pills, would be easier to ingest, he said.
"You have to compare what Viagra offers with what was on offer before. That is, an injection in the penis or a pellet that you have to stick into the urethra and massage for 10 minutes," he said.
"Then instantly you get the sexual stimulation no matter what, without the romantic side."
"With Viagra you may have to plan ahead a little bit but it creates a much more natural response than anything else that's around."
"You have to compare it with what there was before," he said.
He added that it was unusual but not unheard of for researchers to set to work on a company's product independently.
However, when it did happen, it was usually when the patent on a product was about to expire.
The UK government, which has placed a temporary ban on NHS prescription of Viagra, is due to announce guidelines on its use next week.
Viagra Improves Urinary Tract Symptoms In Men With Erectile Dysfunction
ViagraŠ (sildenafil citrate), known for improving erectile dysfunction (ED), also effectively treats the prostate and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with prostate enlargement that often occur with ED, a Northwestern University study has found.
Kevin V. McVary, M.D., professor of urology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, led the study, which he presented at a meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America on Nov. 21 in New York.
McVary and members of the clinical trial conducted the 12-week, double-blind, placebo (fake pill)-controlled study of Viagra in men aged 45 years and older who had ED and LUTS associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an enlargement of the prostate gland that causes an obstruction in the flow of urine through the urethra.
Study participants were assessed for changes in erectile function, self-esteem, LUTS associated with BPH, quality of life and maximum urinary flow rate. Results of the study showed that men who took Viagra (either at bedtime or 30 minutes to an hour before anticipated sexual activity) experienced a significant improvement in erectile function, self-esteem and quality of life, with a concomitant decrease in both the irritative and obstructive symptoms of BPH.
More than half of men over 40 years have difficulties getting or maintaining and erection. Over half of men 50 years and older have some sign of BPH. Research has shown that more than 70 percent of men with symptoms of BPH also have ED.
Results of this study have important implications with respect to the causes of concomitant prostate symptoms and ED.
The findings come from a study led by Jennifer R. Berman, MD and Laura A. Berman PhD.
Pfizer Inc (maker of Viagra) funded the study which monitored 200 postmenopausal women with FSAD (female sexual arousal disorder).
100 women received Viagra while the other half were on a placebo. More women on Viagra (than the placebo) reported better sexual (more sexual) satisfaction. Some of the women on the placebo also reported an improvement (lower number than those on Viagra).
All the women who had hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) as well as FSAD reported no improvement at all.
The most common problem for women with FSAD is genital blood flow (which Viagra seems to be able to help). Women with HSDD have underlying emotional or relationship problems which lead to a reduction in sexual desire.
'Unresolved emotional or relational issues should be addressed before beginning medical therapies,' Berman her colleagues said (December issue of The Journal of Urology).
Those in the study included women who were postmenopausal (or had had a hysterectomy), aged from 30-71 (average age 51).
Two questions (asked after the women had taken the Viagra of Placebo) the team focussed on were:
1. After taking the study medication, the sensation/feeling in my genital (vagina, labia, clitoris) area during intercourse or stimulation seemed to be: (a) more than before, (b) less than before, or (c) unchanged.
2. After taking the study medication, intercourse and/or foreplay was (a) pleasant and satisfying; better than before taking the study medication; (b) unpleasant; worse than before the study medication; (c) unchanged; no difference; or (d) pleasant but still not like it used to be or I would like it to be.
Regarding Question 1 the results were:
Placebo patients: 44% reported an improvement
Viagra Patients: 57% reported an improvement
Regarding Question 2 the results were:
Placebo patients: 26% reported an improvement
Viagra patients: 42% reported an improvement
However, of the patients (on Viagra) with sexual arousal disorder who did not have HSDD 68% reported an improvement on the first question (eight times more than women without HSDD who were on the placebo).
In addition, of the patients (on Viagra) with sexual arousal disorder who did not have HSDD, 50% said there was an improvement in question 2 (11 times more than the non-HSDD women on the placebo).
The authors also said that women who respond to Viagra may need to have normal levels of oestrogen and testosterone. For many postmenopausal women, that may mean menopausal replacement therapy. In the present study, the women had normal hormone levels or were receiving menopausal replacement therapy.
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Dutch scientists say they have found a drug usually prescribed for erectile dysfunction in men increases the sexual function of prostate cancer survivors.<
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. But after treatment, some patients report trouble achieving an erection sufficient for sexual activity -- a medical condition called erectile dysfunction or ED. In the Dutch study, physicians wanted to test whether the drug Tadalafil, which sells under the brand name Cialis, would help prostate cancer survivors with ED who were treated with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy.
In what is believed the first randomized trial of its type, successful intercourse was reported in 48 percent of the survivors who took Tadalafil versus 9 percent of the men who were given placebo. There was also a reported improvement of the quality of erections in 67 percent of the patients, versus 20 percent of the placebo group.
The research conducted at the Erasmus MC-Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center in Rotterdam is detailed in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics.
Study: Erectile dysfunction drug relieves symptoms of Raynaud's
MEDPAGE TODAY
Little Blue Pill May Put Brakes on Some Heart Disease
Many men use Viagra (sildenafil) to speed up their sex lives. Now it seems that if some research pans out the little blue pill may also wind up slowing down some forms of heart disease.
NEW YORK - Viagra (sildenafil) relieves the symptoms and improves the circulation of patients with Raynaud's phenomenon that does no response to conventional therapy, German investigators report. In patients with ulcers on their fingers or toes, the treatment leads to healing.
Viagra, developed to treat of male erectile dysfunction, is a phosphodiesterase (PDE)-5 inhibitor that affects very small blood vessels. Studies have shown it improves circulation in other conditions, such as coronary artery disease.
Raynaud's phenomenon is characterized by spasms in the small blood vessels of the hands and feet in response to cold or stress, resulting in poor circulation and pain. The disorder can also lead to ulceration or tissue death in the toes and fingers.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9967683/
I received a partial shipment yesterday.
The pills have always worked very well...as expected.
That's why I ordered from you again this year...just like last year.
In fact, yours work better than the 50 mg brand name pills I still have!!
An since your pills are scored (unlike the brand name ones that I have to use a knife
to split),
I can easily lower the dosage to 25 mg...which is all I need.
Thank you for a great product at a reasonable price!
