AN APPLE a day, it is said, helps keep the doctor away. For two desperately ill babies however, taking Viagra – the male impotence drug – has actually saved their lives.

Lewis Goodfellow, born 16 weeks early, is making excellent progress after being given the drug, also called Sildenafil, to help open blood vessels in his under-developed lungs.

Erin Cottington, on the other hand, is doing well after taking one of the blue pills every day to help keep her blood pressure down.

Lewis, one of the first babies to be given the drug at the Royal Victoria Infirmary’s special baby care unit in Newcastle, was born premature, with seriously under-developed lungs.

When he was three weeks old, he needed open-heart surgery to correct a faulty valve. But doctors became increasingly worried about his lungs. Despite being given maximum supplies of oxygen, he still struggled to get it into his blood, reported the Daily Mail.

As a last resort the doctors tried Viagra through a drip – and he started to improve.

Now after five months in hospital, Lewis is back at home with his parents. And he is even starting to smile.

Erin Cottington was first given Viagra when she was a few days old to help her overcome life-threatening circulatory problems caused by her under-developed heart and lungs.

Erin was born with her intestines and bowels pushed into her chest cavity, crushing her heart and right lung.

Artificial blood was pumped into her lungs to help increase their capacity. She was given Viagra to open up her blood vessels and improve the flow.

Altogether, Erin had had eight operations, including open-heart surgery, before she was three months old.

After more than 10 months in hospital, Erin returned home to Blackley, Manchester, where she is developing like a normal child.

Source : Thestar

Higher age, body mass index (BMI) and International Prostatic Symptoms Score (IPSS) have been identified as being significantly associated with sexual dysfunction in a large population of men at high risk of developing prostate cancer.

Furthermore, researchers say, there is evidence of an association between erectile dysfunction and prostatic inflammation in this patient population.

Principal investigator Claus G. Roehrborn, MD, professor and chairman, department of urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, United States, presented the findings from an analysis of the baseline data from a placebo-controlled, phase 3 Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) study here at the 22nd Annual Congress European Association of Urology (EAU).

“The question here was: does inflammation at baseline predict the presence or absence of erectile dysfunction, decreased libido or level of sexual activity?” he said in a poster session on March 22nd.

Eligibility criteria for the REDUCE prostate cancer prevention trial included age 50 to 75 years, serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level between 2.5 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL for those 50 to 60 years of age or between 3.0 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL for those who were older than 60 years. Patients also were required to have had a negative prostate biopsy in the 6 months prior to enrolment.

The main exclusion criteria included a prostate volume greater than 80 mL, and IPSS score of 25 or greater (or 20 or greater if already on alpha-blocker therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia), concurrent use (or within the previous 12 months) of a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, and acute prostatitis or acute bacterial prostatitis within the previous 6 months.

Source : Docguide

Genetics and family history play a large role in a persons risk for heart disease, but factors in diet, lifestyle and the environment are also thought to influence susceptibility to the disease. A number of studies presented today at the American College of Cardiologys 56th Annual Scientific Session look at how health-related behaviors can influence a persons risk for cardiovascular disease. ACC.07 is the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, bringing together cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists to further breakthroughs in cardiovascular medicine........

In one of the most comprehensive and definitive studies of its kind to date, a team of scientists at the University of California, Davis have proven that organically grown kiwifruit contain more health-promoting factors than those grown under conventional conditions. The research is published in the SCIs magazine Chemistry and Industry. The debate over the relative health benefits of organic versus conventional food has raged for years, with UK environment secretary David Miliband declaring in January that buying organic is just a lifestyle choice........

Just saw this ad from a new campaign promoting the laxative Metamucil and nearly lost my lunch. Procter and Gamble, which markets Metamucil, has repositioned the brand and is now pitching it with the slogan, "Beautify Your Inside." Now, I'm not the gambling type but if PandG isn't targeting anorexics, bulimics, and other weight-obsessed women with this campaign, you can have my house. Notice how the ad is clearly directed to a much younger audience than the typical (over 60) user of laxatives. Also, the top two questions on the Metamucil website FAQ (what kind of carbs does the drug contain and how a number of?) are clearly directed to weight-loss junkies........