Entries from July 2007 ↓

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has decided to take legal action questioning the scientific basis of a 150-year-old cure for asthma.

Known in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh as fish medicine, the cure is used by hundreds of thousands of patients every year.

In recent years, the medicine has gained tremendous popularity.

About half a million people visit Hyderabad every June to consume the medicine which is taken with live fish.

'Herbal medicine'

An official of the IMA, CL Venkat Rao, told journalists that the association will issue legal notices to the state and central government for their failure to verify the scientific basis and the contents of the medicine.

He said the Andhra Pradesh High Court had last year asked the government to find out the contents of the medicine but so far nothing had been done.

Fish medicine is highly sought after in India

The IMA has decided to take court action because it says the family in Hyderabad which owns the medicine is preparing to administer it again this year - starting on 8 June.

Bathini Harinath Goud, the spokesperson of the Hyderabad-based family, says the formula of the "herbal medicine" was given to his great grand father Veeranna Goud by a sage in the Himalayas in 1854.

He says that since then the family has been distributing the medicine to people free of charge.

The family say they cannot reveal the formula, because if they do so, the medicine will lose its efficacy and others will commercially exploit it.

Impotence

But the IMA says tests at a private laboratory in Hyderabad last year revealed that it had steroids, heavy metals, mercury and other ingredients which could be harmful to asthma patients.

Dr Rao says the presence of these steroids and heavy metals can harm kidneys, cause impotence and lead to intestinal and bone marrow damage in addition to other diseases.

The IMA said that in some cases, it can aggravate the medical condition of asthma patients.

Legal notices will be issued to the Andhra Pradesh government, Dr Rao said, in addition to the heads of police, water supply and the central ministry of health and family welfare.

The IMA says the action is necessary to stop what it terms "government patronage" of the event.

It has questioned the rationale of the government spending nearly $2.3m on the event every year, providing food, water and other help for the tens of thousands of people who come to be treated.

However, the Goud family dismissed the claims by the IMA.

"Doctors keep saying such things against us. We are not worried about what they are saying," a family statement said.

Originaly from Source

The anti-impotence drug Viagra can reduce the effects of stress on the heart, research has found.

The drug, used by millions of men, slowed the increase in the strength of heart contractions by half.

The Johns Hopkins University study, published in Circulation, found the drug acted as a "brake".

However, UK heart experts warned men with heart conditions should talk to their doctor about taking the drug to ensure they use it safely.

Mixing this drug with other heart medicines or taking it if you have angina without advice from a health professional or GP can be dangerous for heart patients Dr Charmaine Griffiths, British Heart Foundation

Viagra, also known as sildenafil, helps men with erectile dysfunction by making genital blood vessels expand in order to maintain an erection.

The Johns Hopkins team have previously shown Viagra can block the short-term effects of hormonal stress in the heart in mice.

But it had been thought to have little direct effect on the human heart.

Contractions

This study looked at 35 men and women, with an average age of 30 and no previous signs of coronary artery disease.

They were all given an injections of an adrenaline-like chemical called dobutamine, which increases heart rate and pumping strength in the same way as emotional or exercise stress, or heart failure.

They were then randomly assigned to either take 100mg of Viagra or a dummy pill before receiving a second injection. Heart function was measured before and after each jab.

After the first injection of dobutamine, the force of heart contraction increased by 150% in both groups.

In the dummy pill group, the same effect was seen after the second injection.

However, in the group treated with Viagra the increased heartbeat was slowed by 50%, resulting in a smaller increase in blood flow and blood pressure generated by the heart in response to chemical stimulation.

No adverse side effects on the heart were seen.

Viagra helps maintain erections by blocking the action of an enzyme which prevents the relaxation of blood vessels in the penis.

The same enzyme, called phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5A), is also involved in the breakdown of a key molecule, cyclic GMP, which helps control stresses and limit heart enlargement.

Heart warning

Professor David Kass, the cardiologist who led the study, said: "Sildenafil effectively puts a 'brake' on chemical stimulation of the heart."

He added: "Knowing more about the effects of sildenafil on heart function will allow for safer evaluation of its use as a treatment for heart problems.

"Until now, it was widely thought that drugs like sildenafil had no effects on the human heart and that its only purpose was vasodilation in the penis and the lungs."

He said further studies should be carried out to investigate Viagra's immediate and long-term effects on the heart.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "Viagra has been a real advance in treating impotence, which affects nearly half of men between 40 and 70 years old.

"The findings that Viagra affects blood pressure is not surprising - before it was known as a successful treatment for impotence, it was actually being researched for lowering effects on blood pressure."

But she added: "If you have a heart condition you should check with your doctor before taking Viagra.

"Mixing this drug with other heart medicines or taking it if you have angina (heart pain on exercise) without advice from a health professional or GP can be dangerous for heart patients."

Originaly from Source

Confidence Inc. is recalling about 1,500 boxes of Long Weekend dietary supplements because representatives from the

Food and Drug Administration 

Food and Drug Administration found the product contains undeclared tadalafil, which makes the product an unapproved drug. Tadalafil is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. Tadalafil can interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs and could lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease often take nitrates, according to the FDA. No illnesses have been reported.

The product comes in three-capsule boxes. It was sold nationwide and in Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Russia and China. Details: by phone at 516-767-1870. Continue reading →

The anti-impotence drug Viagra can reduce the effects of stress on the heart, research has found.

The drug, used by millions of men, slowed the increase in the strength of heart contractions by half.

The Johns Hopkins University study, published in Circulation, found the drug acted as a "brake".

However, UK heart experts warned men with heart conditions should talk to their doctor about taking the drug to ensure they use it safely.

Viagra, also known as sildenafil, helps men with erectile dysfunction by making genital blood vessels expand in order to maintain an erection.

The Johns Hopkins team have previously shown Viagra can block the short-term effects of hormonal stress in the heart in mice.

But it had been thought to have little direct effect on the human heart.

Contractions

This study looked at 35 men and women, with an average age of 30 and no previous signs of coronary artery disease.

They were all given an injections of an adrenaline-like chemical called dobutamine, which increases heart rate and pumping strength in the same way as emotional or exercise stress, or heart failure.

They were then randomly assigned to either take 100mg of Viagra or a dummy pill before receiving a second injection. Heart function was measured before and after each jab.

After the first injection of dobutamine, the force of heart contraction increased by 150% in both groups.

In the dummy pill group, the same effect was seen after the second injection.

However, in the group treated with Viagra the increased heartbeat was slowed by 50%, resulting in a smaller increase in blood flow and blood pressure generated by the heart in response to chemical stimulation.

No adverse side effects on the heart were seen.

Viagra helps maintain erections by blocking the action of an enzyme which prevents the relaxation of blood vessels in the penis.

The same enzyme, called phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5A), is also involved in the breakdown of a key molecule, cyclic GMP, which helps control stresses and limit heart enlargement.

Heart warning

Professor David Kass, the cardiologist who led the study, said: "Sildenafil effectively puts a 'brake' on chemical stimulation of the heart."

He added: "Knowing more about the effects of sildenafil on heart function will allow for safer evaluation of its use as a treatment for heart problems.

"Until now, it was widely thought that drugs like sildenafil had no effects on the human heart and that its only purpose was vasodilation in the penis and the lungs."

He said further studies should be carried out to investigate Viagra's immediate and long-term effects on the heart.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "Viagra has been a real advance in treating impotence, which affects nearly half of men between 40 and 70 years old.

"The findings that Viagra affects blood pressure is not surprising - before it was known as a successful treatment for impotence, it was actually being researched for lowering effects on blood pressure."

But she added: "If you have a heart condition you should check with your doctor before taking Viagra.

"Mixing this drug with other heart medicines or taking it if you have angina (heart pain on exercise) without advice from a health professional or GP can be dangerous for heart patients."

Originaly from Source

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Injections of botulinum toxin A, or Botox, into the prostate gland eased the symptoms of enlarged prostate in men for up to a year, according to the results of a small study published Wednesday.

Researchers at the Chang Gung University Medical College, Taiwan, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania, based their study on 37 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP), or enlarged prostate.

All patients received a single injection of Botox into their prostate, the researchers said in their paper published in a summary ahead of this week's American Urological Association's annual conference, in Annaheim, California.

A year into the treatment 27 patients - 73 percent of the group - experienced a 30 percent improvement in urinary tract symptoms and quality of life, said Dr Yao-Chi Chuang, chief investigator for the Taiwanese university.

Chuang said Botox - a popular, surgery-free cosmetic treatment for wrinkles - reduces the size of the prostate gland through a cellular process called apoptosis, in which the prostate cells die in a programmed manner.

The treatment posed no significant side effects, such as stress urinary incontinence or erectile dysfunction, said Pittsburgh's Michael Chancellor, senior author of the study.

The reduction in size of the prostate can improve urine flow and decrease residual urine left in the bladder, he said.

"Our results are encouraging because they indicate that Botox could represent a simple, safe and effective treatment for enlarged prostate that has long-term benefits," Chancellor added.

BHP is one of the most common diseases affecting men as they age. More than half of all men over the age of 60 and by age 80 develop enlarged prostates, the researchers said.

Forty to 50 percent will develop symptoms of BHP, including more frequent urination, urinary tract infections, the inability to completely empty the bladder and, in severe cases, eventual damage to the bladder and kidneys, they added.

Botox is a powerful neurotoxin introduced nearly two decades ago. It is used to cure some facial problems but is best known for its cosmetic qualities in paralysing facial muscles and thus giving foreheads a wrinkle-free appearance. Continue reading →

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - An Alaska man has pleaded guilty to selling more than 100 fur seal "oosiks" — or penises — to a local gift shop that intended to sell the items as an aphrodisiac.

Michael Richard Zacharof, an Aleut and former tribal president from the Bering Sea village of St. Paul, pleaded guilty this week to one count of violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Federal law forbids the sale of any raw marine mammal parts unless they have been crafted into pieces of Alaska Native artwork. Continue reading →

Smoking damages almost all aspects of sexual, reproductive and child health, according to a report.

The study, by the British Medical Association, says smoking has caused impotence in 120,000 men aged 30-50.

It is responsible for up to 5,000 miscarriages a year, reduces the chances of successful IVF and is implicated in cases of cervical cancer.

The BMA is calling for tough anti-smoking measures, including help for pregnant women to avoid passive smoke.

BMA recommendations Women exposed to passive smoking at work should be entitled to leave of absence on full pay throughout their pregnancy Tobacco warnings should include risks to reproductive health Smoking should not be glamorised in the media Government targets to reduce smoking should be more ambitious Enclosed public places should be smoke-free

The report concludes that the damage inflicted by smoking is evident throughout reproductive life - from puberty to middle age.

Not only can smoking prevent people starting a family, the report says, it can also damage their children.

It says smoking reduces the chances of a woman conceiving by up to 40% per cycle.

And women who smoke during pregnancy are three times more likely to have a low birth-weight baby. Low birth weight is closely linked to illness and death in infancy.

There is also evidence that smoking may increase the risk of certain foetal malformations, such as cleft lip and palate.

Women who smoke have also been found to produce smaller volumes of lower quality breastmilk.

Passive smoking is linked to cot death, premature birth, respiratory infection in children and the development of childhood asthma.

It is estimated that each year more than 17,000 children under five years old are admitted to UK hospitals because of respiratory illness caused by exposure to other people's cigarette smoke.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's Head of Science and Ethics, said: "The sheer scale of damage that smoking causes to reproductive and child health is shocking.

"Women are generally aware that they should not smoke while pregnant but the message needs to be far stronger.

"Men and women who think they might want children one day should bin cigarettes.

"And we're not just talking about having children. Men who want to continue to enjoy sex should forget about lighting up given the strong evidence that smoking is a major cause of male sexual impotence."

Devastating impact

Deborah Arnott, director of anti-smoking charity ASH, said: "This report clearly shows the devastating impact of smoking on generations to come.

"Stopping smoking should be the number one priority for anyone who wants to have children.

"This is important not just to increase the chances of conception but also to give your child the best start in life.

"By stopping smoking, parents will not only improve their own health but will lessen the chances of their children developing illnesses such as asthma and pneumonia."

Originaly from Source

The anti-impotence pill Viagra could be available over-the-counter drug, it is reported.

The drug's maker Pfizer says it is considering submiting an application to European regulatory authorities to clear it for sale in pharmacies.

An estimated 27 million men have already used the little blue pill for erectile dysfunction on prescription.

Medics said a change would be welcome but might mean other linked diseases were missed with no health check ups.

Ups and downs

Often, men with erectile dysfunction have underlying health problems such as diabetes, which can be spotted by their GP at the time they come for an anti-impotence prescription.

"If men can buy Viagra and rival anti-impotence drugs over-the-counter without a prescription, this opportunity is missed," said Dr David Ralph from the Institute of Urology at University College London.

But there would be benefits too, he said, such as combating the problem of Viagra sold illegally on the internet from unknown sources, which may be fake and if taken with some medicines could be fatal.

He said it would be safe to buy over-the-counter provided the pharmacist did the necessary checks to ensure the medication was suitable for the patient.

Embarrassment factor

It might also be a more attractive option to men as going to see the GP about sexual problems can be embarrassing, he added.

But he cautioned: "There is more to sexual relations than an erection. There may be other problems."

Viagra works by relaxing the blood vessels in the penis. This allows blood to flow into the penis causing an erection.

However, the drug is not an aphrodisiac and does not increase sex drive.

It is licensed only as a treatment for men who have been diagnosed by a doctor as having impotence.

Also, some men, such as those with severe heart disease or low blood pressure, should avoid it because of possible risks and side effects.

Viagra is not licensed for use in women and its safety in women has not been established.

A Pfizer spokesman said: "As with many of our products, Pfizer has routinely evaluated a number of options including different formulations, new indications, over-the-counter and continues to do so."

He added that despite speculation there were no plans to pursue a spray version of the drug.

Originaly from Source

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Injections of botulinum toxin A, or Botox, into the prostate gland eased the symptoms of enlarged prostate in men for up to a year, according to the results of a small study published Wednesday.

Researchers at the Chang Gung University Medical College, Taiwan, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania, based their study on 37 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP), or enlarged prostate.

All patients received a single injection of Botox into their prostate, the researchers said in their paper published in a summary ahead of this week's American Urological Association's annual conference, in Annaheim, California. Continue reading →

A Chinese court has upheld Viagra-maker Pfizer's patent for the anti-impotence pill, overturning a previous decision.

Most drugs sold as Viagra in China are counterfeit, and the ruling shows the country is prepared to get tougher on intellectual property rights violation.

In 2004, China's patent review board sided with Chinese generic drug makers challenging Pfizer's sildenafil citrate patent, Viagra's main ingredient.

New York-based Pfizer recorded Viagra sales of $1.65bn (0.87bn) in 2005.

An official at the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court confirmed the decision.

Pfizer had appealed to China's State Intellectual Property Office(Sipo) over the 2004 decision by the patent review board permitting more than a dozen Chinese drug firms to use sildenafil citrate.

'Great brother'

Viagra was introduced in China six years ago and after six months on the market, state media said 90% of the blue pills sold in Shanghai were fake.

Viagra is known locally as "weige" or "great brother" in Chinese.

The local producers, known as the "Weige Alliance", are expected to appeal against the latest decision.

"We respect the Chinese law and the decision made by the court. But we may appeal," said Qing Liang, a spokesman for Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical, a firm looking to market a generic version of Viagra.

When it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, China agreed to tighten patent protections.

Originaly from Source