Prostate drug doesn’t limit sexual function in most men
Men and their physicians need not hesitate to use a drug proven effective in preventing prostate cancer out of concern that it is likely to cause sexual dysfunction, say authors of a study conducted by the Southwest Oncology Group.
The authors, who surveyed more than 17,000 men 55 and older for seven years, reported their results in the July 4 Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study found that men given finasteride reported on average more dysfunction than did men given a placebo. That small effect diminished over the seven years.
New Approach Shows Promise as Lung Cancer Treatment
A novel radiotherapy approach has shown promise as a treatment option, and may possibly increase the cure rate, for people with early stage lung cancer who are unable to tolerate surgery, according to findings from a five-year study led by SUNY Upstate Medical University.
SUNY Upstate was among 10 institutions nationwide participating in this first prospective radiotherapy study specific to high-risk patients with early stage lung cancer. The findings were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting June 4 in Chicago.
New Therapy is Effective for Patients with Crohnэs Disease
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that certolizumab pegol is an effective treatment for adults with Crohn’s disease, according to two new studies. These findings were published in today’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Certolizumab pegol blocks tumor necrosis factor, an important cause of inflammation in Crohn’s disease.
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that affects an estimated 500,000 people in the United States. Symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, weight loss and diarrhea. Crohn’s disease has no known medical cure. Currently approved therapies that also block tumor necrosis factor include intravenous infusions of infliximab or subcutaneous injections of adalimumab.
Protecting HIV Patients from Hepatitis B Virus
Since the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) are so similar, individuals infected with one of these viruses are at a significantly increased risk for contracting the other. As it is not quite clear how patients that don’t respond to the HBV vaccine should be managed, new research from the University of Alberta has evaluated the immune response of HBV vaccine given intradermally (into the skin) in HIV-infected individuals who failed to respond to two cycles of HBV vaccine given intramuscularly (into the muscle).
“Because those infected with HIV are at a greater risk for contracting HBV, it is crucial we promote HBV immunizations and continue to put our research efforts into why some HIV patients fail to respond to the vaccine,” said Dr. Stephen Shafran, Professor and Director, Division of Infectious Diseases, at the University of Alberta.
Genes help determine amount of lean body mass
How much lean body mass a woman has appears to have a lot to do with her genes, according to a new twin study published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Lean body mass, fat mass and bone mass are the three major components of body composition, Dr. Gregory Livshits of Tel Aviv University in Israel and colleagues note. But while much is known about the genetics of fat mass and bone mass, as well as their effects on health and fitness, less data are available on lean mass.
Vitamin D deficiency: Common and problematic yet preventable
In a review article to appear in the July 19th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Michael Holick, an internationally recognized expert in vitamin D, provides an overview of his pioneering work that expounds on the important role vitamin D plays in a wide variety of chronic health conditions, as well as suggesting strategies for the prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency.
Humans attain vitamin D from exposure to sunlight, diet and supplements. Vitamin D deficiency is common in children and adults. In utero and childhood, vitamin D deficiency may cause growth retardation, skeletal deformities and increase risk of hip fractures later in life.
