Scientists discover stroke gene

Read more on Scientists discover stroke gene site
A gene which may increase the risk of stroke has been uncovered by Iceland-based researchers.

The discovery could prompt the discovery of drug treatments to help those at highest risk.

This protein it produces plays a role in the growth of blood vessels. but too much of it may increase stroke risk.

Writing in the journal Nature Genetics, the scientists said people with certain forms of a gene called PDE4D may be most at risk.

Proteins from a similar “family”, called phosphodiesterase (PDE), are linked to other illnesses, such as asthma, inflammation and even erectile dysfunction.

This suggests that it may be possible to develop a drug to block the effects of the gene - the breakthrough impotence drug Viagra already works by targeting another member of the PDE family.

Solveig Erectile dysfunction drugs and colleagues at a company called deCode Genetics in Reykjavik believe this gene is associated with an increased risk of stroke.

They carried out DNA tests on over 1,700 people in Iceland, half of whom had suffered strokes.

The Icelandic population is generally regarded as the best testing ground for geneticists.

This is because the gene pool is relatively pure. Unlike most other countries, there has been little sildenafil citrate since the first Vikings arrived almost 1,000 years ago.

Scientists working on this latest study say they have identified genetic differences between those people who have had strokes and those who have not.

These differences centre on the gene PDE4D, located on chromosome 5.

They have found that three different isoforms of the gene were expressed at lower levels in people who had strokes.

Isoforms are groups of proteins that are produced by a gene.

They also found different combinations of genes in regions of chromosome 5 flanking the PDE4D gene in people who had strokes.

It is already known that this gene provides the coding which enables a protein called a phosphodiesterase to work.

Stroke risk

But the Icelandic scientists believe that too much of it may increase the risks of cheap sildenafil citrate - furring up of the arteries.

This causes the arteries to narrow, which can trigger a stroke.

“We propose that PDE4D is involved in the sildenafil citrate india of stroke, possibly through atherosclerosis, which is the primary pathological process underlying ischemic stroke,” the scientists said.

They believe that blocking the protein in people with these potentially problematic forms of the PDE4D gene could protect them against stroke.

There are already drugs available to do this. These so-called phosphodiesterase inhibitors are used to treat asthma, inflammation and erectile dysfunction, with Viagra probably the best known.

However, much further study is needed before these drugs could be used to treat people who may have a high risk of having a stroke.

Viagra, for one, has potentially serious side effects if taken by men with underlying health problems.

And some information of buy soft viagra online.

Viagra could cut heart stress

The impotence treatment erectile dysfunction treatment 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.

Impotence cure

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 erectile dysfunction new drug.

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 diagnosis dysfunction erectile in incontinence male man nursing pelvic series treatment wiley 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 &39; 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.”

Original article ‘Viagra could cut heart stress
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Push for over-the-counter Viagra


The anti-impotence pill Viagra could be available penis problem drug, it is reported.

The drug's maker Pfizer says it is considering submiting an viagra drug store 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 impotence solution 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.

Caffeine impotence 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 penis problem, 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.

 

 

 

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Pelvic floor exercises help men and work as viagra

Read source of it on the Pelvic floor exercises help men and work as viagra page
Pelvic floor exercises have long been recommended for women - now researchers say they could help men too.

The exercises were found to help men with erectile dysfunction female male sexual treatment as much as taking in Viagra.

The researchers say the findings mean men have an viagra drug store to drug therapy.

For around 50 years, women have been advised to perform pelvic floor exercises to strengthen their muscles for childbirth.

The pelvic floor is a “hammock” of muscles which support the bowel and bladder.

Pelvic floor, or Kegel, exercises involve clenching the muscles you would use to prevent yourself urinating.

This latest research indicates it is also important for men to maintain the muscle tone and function of their pelvic floor muscles with the exercises.

Home exercises

The team from the University of the West of England in Bristol studied 55 men with an average age of 59 who had penis problem erectile dysfunction for at least six months.

The men, all patients at the Somerset Nuffield Hospital, Taunton, Somerset, were given five weekly sessions of pelvic floor exercises and assessed at three and six months, and asked to practise the exercises daily at home.

It was found 40% of the men regained normal erectile function - some of who had severe erectile dysfunction, and another 35% showed some improvement.

Two thirds of the men had said they also had problems with urination. These improved significantly after they began the exercises.

Dr Grace Dorey, a specialist continence physiotherapist who carried out the research, told BBC News Online: “The exercises were found to be equally as effective as taking Viagra.

“Pelvic floor exercises improve function in a physical way, in a more natural way.

“Men should be doing preventative exercise. It really is use it or lose it.”

She said men should be exercising their pelvic floor exercises from puberty onwards.

Strength

A spokesperson for the Impotence Association said: “The value and try viagra for free of pelvic floor exercises should not be underestimated when considering the management of sexual problems such as impotence and premature erectile dysfunction help.

“The exercises are thought to strengthen the muscles that surround the penis and improve the blood supply in the pelvis, which is an important factor in relation to erectile dysfunction.”

The Impotence Association helpline number is 0208 767 7791.

Erectile dysfunction medication
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Buyer Beware Herbal Products for Sexual Healing

June 8, 2001 — Walking down a street in Honolulu, Mark Moyad, MPH, an expert in nutritional supplements for sexual disorders, was stopped by a merchant who asked him if he’d like to buy some “Viagra.”

Intrigued, Moyad followed the man into the store. As it turns out, the merchant was not selling Viagra, but an herbal supplement called “Vigra” with an asking price of $75. Upon inspection, the product was found to contain a host of compounds touted — but never proven — to improve sexual functioning: ginseng, zinc, L-arginine, and saw palmetto, among others.

Moyad and others at a meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America say this episode on the streets of Honolulu illustrates the enormous and lucrative market for herbal supplements to treat erectile dysfunction and other sexual disorders. The Society met this week in Anaheim, Calif., in conjunction with the American Urological Association.

“In my opinion, this is the largest profit area of the [herbal supplements] industry,” Moyad says. “They may not be the hottest selling supplements out there, but the average cost runs $50-100 per bottle.”

Moyad, who is completing his medical degree at the University of Michigan School of Medicine, is affiliated with the complementary/preventive medicine in urology and oncology there.

And most of these products have a long way to go before they are proven to live up to their claims. “Most erectile dysfunction supplements have a very slow response, if any,” Moyad says. “This area begs for more research and objectivity.”

The compounds found in Moyad’s bottle of Vigra are among the usual suspects in compounds sold over the counter to promote sexual health. Another popular one is the steroid dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, Moyad says.

Yet scientific studies to test the claims of these compounds are invariably weak. In almost every case, the claims are based on studies that did not compare the supplement against another drug or a placebo, were not long enough to determine long-term effects, or showed significant side effects, Moyad says.

Despite this, supplements for sexual disorders, including erectile dysfunction, abound, and the Internet is a popular, confidential venue to advertise and sell them.

“The web is probably a good place for some men to seek information about erectile dysfunction,” said James H. Barada, MD. “Erectile dysfunction is an intensely personal issue, and many men feel more comfortable pursuing information in utmost confidentiality. Unfortunately, the Internet can be a very dark place because it provides confidentiality without control of content.”

Barada says that more than 50,000 web sites specialize in herbal medications, and “a significant number of these sites also provide products for sexual dysfunction.” Barada is with the Center for Male Sexual Health in Albany, N.Y.

In an informal study at his clinic, Barada asked six men with sexual disorders, including erectile dysfunction, to spend two hours on the web searching for products to treat the disorders. The men were able to find 16-39 different nonprescription medications, claiming to treat erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation or to increase libido and general sexual stamina, Barada says.

Independently, Barada says he was able to find nearly 175 different sites and 75 products using the following search words: “better than Viagra,” “safer than Viagra,” or “faster than Viagra.”

“When we looked at some of the specific products, they were multiple compounds of undetermined efficacy for treatment of erectile dysfunction,” Barada says.

And many sites claim their products are “FDA approved,” but a reading of the fine print reveals the approval has been for purity only, not for treatment of a disorder, Barada says.

David Schardt, PhD, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says the marketing of supplements was boosted by the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. That legislation gives manufacturers the freedom to market products with little proof that they live up to their claims, he says.

“You don’t have to have any evidence that the substance you are marketing has any efficacy or even any biological effect,” Schardt says. “It could be totally inert, or you could have evidence that it doesn’t work and still sell it as a dietary supplement.”

Schardt explains that the 1994 law provides two tiers for regulating claims made on supplement packages. One tier regulates claims made about a product’s ability to prevent, treat, or cure disease. The criteria for making those claims are extraordinarily strict, and no herbal product is likely to pass the grade any time soon, Schardt says,

“None of the dietary supplements being sold for sexual dysfunction have anywhere near the evidence required by the FDA for the approval of a health claim,” Schardt says. “It is unlikely you will see any dietary supplement being able to make a claim that it has any effect on prevention, treatment, or cure of any sexual dysfunction.”

But the second tier of the law’s regulation addresses “structure-function” claims. These are claims that a product affects the structure or function of the body — and these criteria, much less stringent, are where herbal product manufacturers have considerable leeway. For instance, ginseng can be touted as “improving sexual well-being” under the regulation, Schardt says.

Moyad will be chairing a committee of the Society for Sexual Medicine to look at all the data on herbal supplements and to make recommendations to physicians for their patients. “It is time for researchers and physicians to get involved and look at the data objectively,” Moyad says. (more…)