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FDA: Spontaneous Hearing Loss due to Viagra, Levitra and Cialis

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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling changes for Viagra, Cialis and Levitra that "more prominently display the potential risk of sudden hearing loss."

While rare, there have been reported incidents of single-sided hearing loss in patients taking the above erectile dysfunction drugs (Type 5 PDE5 inhibitors).

The labeling change was prompted by a published case of sudden hearing loss in a patient taking Viagra, and further studies found a total of 29 patients with sudden hearing loss.

There are no predictable warning signs for sudden hearing loss.

If you are taking these drugs and experience any hearing difficulty stop taking them at once and seek prompt medical attention.

From the FDA: "PDEF inhibitors are safe and effective for the treatment of ED when taken according to the labeling. However all drugs carry risks, and you should discuss any concerns you have regarding taking these products with your healthcare provider."

 

 

Cheap Running Shoes a Better Buy than Expensive Ones

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Why waste money on expensive running shoes when cheaper ones are as good, if not better? That’s the finding of a British research study which compared nine sets of running shoes in three price ranges, bought from three different manufacturers.


Forty three volunteers were used for the study. They were not told the prices, and were asked to rate the shoes for comfort.


Plantar pressure—the force produced by the impact of the sole when hitting the ground—was measured in eight different areas of the sole. It was found to be slightly lower in the cheaper shoes, although the difference between them and the more expensive shoes was not statistically significant. Comfort ratings varied, but again there no obvious difference between the shoes tested.


The authors of the research explained that running produces sizeable shock waves to the bones of the foot, which radiate to other bones in the body. The result is that runners often suffer from knee pain, stress fractures, muscle tears and osteoarthritis.


Running shoe manufacturers claim that the cushioning in more expensive running shoes gives better protection to the sole, and helps prevent these conditions.


Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine 2007; doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2007.038844

Eye Scan May Help Early Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

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Researchers have found that a five-minute eye exam called optical coherence tomography (OCT) that measures optic nerve damage may aide in spotting multple sclerosis (MS) early, as well as help track the progression of the disease.

While the definitive cause of MS is not known, most scientists believe that MS is an auto-immune disease, where the body’s immune system attacks the nervous system.

Currently, MS is diagnosed by patient history, clinical exams, and laboratory tests. The National MS Society says the preferred test, which detects plaques or scarring that may be caused by MS, is magnetic resonance imaging or an MRI.

In the OCT study, 40 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients underwent OCT scans. The results suggested an association between the retinal measurement and brain atrophy.

According to Johns Hopkins neurologist Peter Calabresi, M.D., an MRI "measures the result of many types of tissue loss rather than specifically nerve damage itself. With OCT we can see exactly how healthy these nerves are, potentially in advance of other symptoms."

OCT scans are also much faster and less expensive than MRI scans.

Dr. Calabresi adds that many of the MS symptoms, such as numbness, tingling, visual impairment, fatigue, weakness and bladder function disturbance, are the result of nerve cell degeneration, so a test that specifically measures nerve cell health is potentially the clearest picture of the status of the disease, though optic nerve damage can point to a number of diseases and is not a unique diagnostic tool for MS.

The National MS Society estimates that about 400,000 people have Multiple Sclerosis.

The study was published in the October, 2007 issue of Neurology.

Source: Johns Hopkins University

When Yoga and Pilates Go Bad

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LJK, a New York businessman and former movie studio executive had just assumed his normal pilates position when he felt and heard a distinct "pop" in his lower back. This was accompanied, he said, "by some of the worst pain I’ve ever had in my life."

It took four ambulance attendants to carry him down a flight of stairs from the upper East Side pilates studio to the waiting ambulance.

The diagnosis? A ruptured lumbar disc. The treatment? Surgery to remove disc fragments impinging on LJK’s spinal cord.

He joined one of over 13,000 Americans treated in ERs during just the last year alone for yoga and pilates-related injuries.

His lesson, and the lesson for other yoga/pilates devotees is that your body isn’t a pretzel, and the effects of aging on joints and spinal columns doesn’t magically disappear through the ministrations of yoga. You must slowly learn these disciplines, and you must find a well-trained instructor. And even with all of these precautions, one wrong move can spell disaster.

Don’t necessarily trust the perfectly-sculpted instructor at your health club for instruction. And, by the way, don’t expect yoga or pilates to peel off the inches or pounds. For that you’ll need to hit the cardio machines or spinning classes.

Low Level Lead Exposure Leads to Chronic Renal Disease in Animal Study

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While lead exposure has long been associated with hypertension, arteriolosclerosis and kidney disease, a new animal study from the University of Florida, Gainesville indicates that even low level exposure to lead accelerates chronic renal disease–primarily by raising blood pressure and accelerating injury to kidney tissues and blood vessels.

The study used male rats which were fed a standard diet. In addition, 16 of the rats were given water with lead acetate at a dosage resulting in similar or slightly lower than the levels observed in subjects with occupational lead exposure. Thereafter they underwent remnant kidney (RK) surgery and afterwards continued on the lead acetate for 12 more weeks.

A control group also underwent RK surgery but without lead acetate. At eight and 12 weeks after surgery, the body weight of all the rats was measured and systolic blood pressure was assessed. Twelve weeks after RK surgery, kidney tissue was collected for histologic and molecular biologic studies from both groups.

Study Results
Lead treatment was well tolerated and resulted in modest elevations in whole blood lead levels. However, the lead exposure reduced body weight, increased blood pressure and worsened renal dysfunction.

Specifically, lead exposure:

  • was associated with higher systolic blood pressure and worse renal function, and with a tendency for greater urinary protein; and
  • while scarring in the renal capillary system tended to be worse in lead treated rats, the most striking finding was that kidney tissue disease (arteriolar disease, peritubular capillary loss, tubulointerstitial damage and macrophage infiltration) worsened with lead exposure. These developments were associated with the significantly increased renal expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA.

According to Dr. Richard J. Johnson, the seior researcher, "This study examined the effect of mild, chronic lead intoxication in an experimental model of chronic renal disease. The dose of lead administered resulted in mild toxicity. This degree of lead poisoning was sufficient to cause higher blood pressures and accelerate the progression of renal failure."

Source: American Journal of Physiology—Renal Physiology (Online Edition)

Male Medicare Patients Get Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator 2-3x More Often Than Females

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Male Medicare patients are 2-3 times more likely than females to receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator for the prevention of sudden cardiac death, according to a study in the October 3 issue of JAMA.
Sudden cardiac death is a leading cause of death in the United States. Overall, the risk of sudden cardiac death increases with age and is higher in men than in women, although the sex difference narrows and eventually disappears after age 85 years, according to background information in the article.

Research has shown the effectiveness of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in preventing sudden cardiac death, and Medicare coverage of ICDs has expanded, but many eligible patients still do not receive them.
Lesley H. Curtis, Ph.D., of Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C., and colleagues examined the differences between men and women in the receipt of ICDs for the primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death. Data for the study came from a five percent national sample of files from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the period 1991 through 2005.

Patients in the study were age 65 years or older with Medicare fee-for-service coverage and diagnosed with a heart attack and either heart failure or cardiomyopathy (a disorder of the heart muscle), the primary prevention cohort: 136,421 patients; n = 65,917 men and 70,504 women; or with cardiac arrest or ventricular tachycardia (a cardiac arrhythmia), the secondary prevention cohort: 99,663 patients; n = 52,252 men and 47,411 women, from 1999 through 2005.
In the 2005 primary prevention group, 32.3 per 1,000 men and 8.6 per 1,000 women received ICD therapy within 1 year of entering the study.

Men in this group were about 3.2 times more likely than women to receive an ICD. Among men and women alive at 180 days after group entry, the risk of death in the subsequent year was not significantly lower among those who received ICD therapy.
In the 2005 secondary prevention group, 102.2 per 1,000 men and 38.4 per 1,000 women received ICD therapy. After controlling for various factors, men in this group were about 2.4 times more likely than women to receive ICD therapy. Among men and women alive at 30 days after entry in this group, the risk of death in the subsequent year was 35 percent lower among patients who received ICD therapy.
Findings in this cohort of elderly patients differ from an earlier study that suggested a narrowing of the gap between men and women, and they highlight the need for an improved understanding of sex differences in patterns of care," the authors conclude.
Source: JAMA. 2007;298(13):1517-1524.

Flu Shot Decreases Elderly Death Risk by Half Says Study

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A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine indicates that seniors over 65 who get the flu vaccine cut their risk of influenza death in half, and that vaccination lowers hospitalization rates by 27 percent.

Approximately 36,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations are attributed to the flu each year in the United States.

The study, lead by Dr. Kristin Nichol, from the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, was conducted on approximately 300,000 unvaccinated and 415,000 vaccinated seniors over the age of 65 from three different HMO’s over 10 years.

Interestingly, this study contradicts one that was released just last week that indicated results of flu vaccine effectiveness were exagerated. Dr. Nichol’s study attempted to address some of the discrepancies.

 

Source: The New England Journal of Medicine, October 4,
2007.

 

Vision and Hearing Impairment May Contribute to Depression in Seniors

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It is commonly known that hearing and vision impairment are much more pronounced in the elderly population. With the gradual onset of hearing and vision loss, certain tasks become more difficult for seniors.

In addition to the direct difficulties, such as having trouble reading smaller type or understanding conversations, hearing and vision loss is also associated with the development of mood disorders, according to Dennis Norman, Chief of Psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"Vision and hearing loss are major public health issues because they affect so many older individuals, and because they have an adverse impact on mental health," says Norman. "If the senses are limited, everything is affected, including interaction with surroundings, relationships, activities, and feelings of self-worth. Impairment can lead to depression, anxiety, social isolation and many other problems."

According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 3.6 million Americans over the age of 70 have impaired vision, and 6.7 million older adults report impaired hearing.

The CDC also indicates that these individuals also are more likely to experience problems in other activities of daily life, such as walking, going outdoors, getting in and out of chairs or bed, or managing their prescription medications. They are also less likely to socialize than individuals without sensory impairment.

A recent study reported in Archives of Ophthalmology (April 2006) also suggests that there’s a significant link between visual problems and thinking, memory and learning.

Hearing impairment has also been linked to cognitive decline. Brandeis University researchers suggest that mental resources are expended toward efforts to hear, at the expense of memory.

Preventive Measures to Protect from Hearing and Vision Impairment

  • Wear sunglasses to reduce exposure to UV radiation
  • Protect ears by avoiding loud noises, wearing earplugs, and keep earphone volume down
  • Stay healthy with regular medical checkups, quitting smoking, and managing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure that can damage eyes and/or ears.
  • Maintain a healthful diet: Get plenty of vitamin C through citrus fruits and juices; eat carrots and dark-green leafy vegetables such as spinach for beta-carotene; eat whole grains, nuts, and eggs for vitamin E; and get needed zinc from fish, meats, whole grains and dairy products. For nutrients that strengthen or protect hearing, eat foods rich in: vitamin D (fortified dairy products, seafood, fortified cereals); vitamin B12 (meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products and shellfish); and folate (liver, eggs, beans, fortified cereals, leafy green vegetables, and fruits).
  • Consider supplements. Ask your doctor about taking supplements such as bilberry (huckleberry), ginkgo biloba and vinpocetine.

Helpful Resources
These groups offer support and information to help people cope with hearing and vision impairment:

Source: Newswise

Paid Health News: Blurring the Line Between News and PR

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It seems that much of the health and medical news published in major news outlets today derives from company press releases, corporate sponsored studies, or even stories produced directly by saavy PR agencies.

News agencies summarize studies published in respected medical journals, and some stories come from other more dubious sources. Often, studies themselves are funded by corporate interest that stand to benefit directly from the proliferation of a whole new surge of “news” on a particular topic.

Gary Schwitzer, publisher of Health News Review, writes on his health news blog:

“I always talk a great deal with my students about the blurred line between news and advertising in many settings these days. Now some of my past students are seeing it for themselves…

For whatever reason, a disproportionate share of one year’s graduating class is working in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where today the Argus Leader newspaper reports: “a local television affiliate is ramping up its health care coverage, thanks to a partnership with Avera Health.”

As publisher of HealthNewsReview.org, Schwitzer’s goal for the organization is “improving the accuracy of news stories about medical treatments, tests and procedures, and helping consumers evaluate the evidence for and against new ideas in health care.”

Read more about sponsored health news stories from Gary Schwitzer’s blog.

Summertime Survival Tips: Water Intake

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It’s summertime and you’ve forgotten to bring along your water bottle for your afternoon hike. Should you go back and get it, or keep hiking and worry about it later.
Go back.
The rule of thumb is eight—eight glasses of fluid a day per person, increasing fluid intake for exercise, hot weather, high altitude or low humidity.

If you hike without adequate hydration, you have a greater chance of developing fatigue, headaches and general irritability.
Drink before you get thirsty, and drink until your urine is only slightly yellow. Water is preferable over juices and sports drinks if you’re trying to watch calories.

The US national Research council suggests that another rule of thumb— match one ml of water for every calorie consumed. In other words, if you eat 3,000 calories worth of food, you have to drink 3,000 milliliters of water.

 

Remember that if you don’t want to wake up at night for a bathroom stop, don’t drink within two hours of going to sleep. Also, alcohol and caffeine have diuretic side-effects—they increase urine output.