can't look any worse, Ricky Santorum proves that he's an even bigger asshole than we thought.
One of the feistiest exchanges came in response to a young child's question on the cost of medical care in America. Urged on by his mother, a boy asked what Santorum would do to lower medical costs, but before he could finish his question, the candidate said such things should be left up to the market.
"We can make medicine cheaper by using markets," Santorum said. "That's how you make medicine cheaper is that you have free people going out there and competing against each other and competition drives up quality and drives down costs."
Competition? Okay, great! So we can import cheaper drugs from Canada then, have them compete in the open market?
"The only reason new drugs are developed is because Americans actually do pay for the cost of that research," Santorum said. "And so when you say oh, I'll go and get my drugs in Canada, that's great. Go get your drugs in Canada and if everybody did that, you'd have no new drugs. You have that drug and maybe you're alive today because people have a profit motive to make that drug."
Okay, so forget the open market. Really, only people who can afford to deliver profits to drug companies should be able to use them, huh?
"People have no problem going out and buying an iPad for $900," he said. "But paying $900 for a drug, they have a problem with it. It keeps you alive. Why? Because you have been conditioned to thinking that health care is something that you should get and not have to pay for. Drug companies, health care companies need to have a profit motive, because if they don't, then how are we going to regulate costs? We are gonna ration care."
iPads start at $500, by the way. And unlike life saving drugs, you buy it once. If you had to pay $900 for an iPad every month, or even every year, you better believe sales would crater.
And while iPads are a completely optional purchase, life-saving drugs are not. Unless, of course, you can't afford to deliver profits.
The mother of the original questioner tried once more to plead her case, explaining that she's paid $1.3 million a year to keep her son alive, and while she's willing to go bankrupt for her child, it pains her to see his friends die in the hospital because their parents cannot afford the treatment.
Finding himself in the unenviable position of defending oft-derided drug companies, Santorum stuck to his guns.
"He's alive today because drug companies thought that they would make money in providing that care and if the drug company didn't think they could make any money by providing that care, I hate to put it in these terms, but that drug wouldn't be here," he said, adding that he sympathized with the mother, "we either believe in markets or we don't."
And oh, he's totally in favor of allowing insurance companies to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions, so if you're already sick, he doesn't want you to get health insurance.
So you got it? If you can afford $1.3 million every year to deliver profits to big pharma and the insurance industry, then your kid can live. If you can't, then your kid dies, and that's okay, because if it's not, then you don't believe in free markets. Unless you're Canadian. Because if you are, then your kid gets to live.
USA! USA! USA!
Why are Britain's health charities bent on sucking the blood from the NHS? The very same organisations that do such sterling work funding research, supporting patients and promoting awareness appear to have a blind spot when it comes to assessing what treatments are worth. We see it each time the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) reaches an unpopular decision to ban a drug on the NHS because it is too expensive, as it did yesterday with the new prostate cancer medicine abiraterone. Cue uproar from charities.
"This decision is a bitter blow to thousands of men and their families and must be overturned," said Owen Sharp, the chief executive of the Prostate Cancer Charity. It was the same last month, when Nice ruled against three bowel cancer drugs. Mark Flannagan, the chief excecutive of Beating Bowel Cancer, said: "This is yet another blow for bowel cancer patients. All bowel cancer patients deserve the best care." Of course – how could anyone dispute that? Nice agreed that some of the drugs were effective – extending life by an average of 3.9 months in the case of prostate cancer. As Mr Sharp said, that could give a terminally ill man the chance to "walk his daughter down the aisle or see the birth of a grandchild". It is a disaster for such a man to be denied such a drug.
But we cannot provide every treatment that is effective to every patient who would benefit without regard to the cost. If we did, we would quickly bankrupt the NHS. Yet that is what the health charities are helping to do. By turning their fire on Nice, and neglecting the other player in the tragedy – the drug company involved – charities are effectively saying that protecting drug-company profits is more important than protecting the NHS.
Nice assesses each drug and calculates how much benefit it delivers for the cost. It mostly approves drugs costing up to ?30,000 per Quality Adjusted Life Year (Qaly – a measure of the benefit), or for terminal conditions, up to ?50,000. In this case, the prostate drug came in at ?63,000 per Qaly, and the bowel cancer drugs at ?110,000 per Qaly. So, in Nice's view, the drug companies Janssen and Amgen were charging more than they were worth. Did the health charities challenge the companies? No. Instead, they lambasted Nice. Do they receive drug company financial support? Perhaps we should be told.
Only Harpal Kumar, the chief executive of Cancer Research UK, struck the right note. Commenting on the prostate drug decision yesterday, he said: "We feel extremely let down that the drug's manufacturer couldn't offer Nice a price they could agree on." This is a ?500bn global industry and it is time other organistations joined Nice in holding it to account to ensure fair prices are charged to the NHS.
“Heartburn pills taken by thousands of women ‘raise risk of hip fractures by up to 50 per cent’,” the Daily Mail reported today. The headline is based on a large new study of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which are commonly used to treat heartburn, acid reflux and ulcers.
The study found that post-menopausal women who regularly took PPIs for at least two years were 35% more likely to suffer hip fracture than non-users, a figure that increases to 50% for women who were current or former smokers. However, although this increase in risk is large, the overall risk of fractures remains small.
This was a large, well conducted study that suggests that long-term use of PPIs is associated with a small increase in risk of hip fracture, although the researchers point out that the risk seems to be confined to women with a history of smoking. Unlike previous research, this study took careful account of other factors that might affect risk such as body weight and calcium intake.
Women who are concerned about their use of PPIs are advised to consult their GP.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston University and Harvard Medical School and was funded by the US National Institutes of Health. The study was published in the
peer-reviewed British Medical Journal.
Although the Mail’s headline is technically correct, it gives the impression that these drugs carry a very large increase in the risk of hip fracture. In fact, the study found that, in absolute terms, the increase in risk for regular users was small. Researchers found that among the women in the study who regularly used PPIs, about 2 in every 1,000 fractured a hip each year. In non-users, this figure was about 1.5 in every 1,000. This is a increase of about 5 fractures a year in every 10,000 women taking PPIs.
The Mail did point out this “absolute difference” towards the end of its story. Both the Mail and the BBC included comments from independent experts.
What kind of research was this?
The researchers point out that PPIs are among the most commonly used drugs worldwide. In the US they are available over the counter, but in the UK are available only on prescription. They are used for symptoms of heartburn,
gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and
stomach ulcers. PPIs are thought to work by reducing acid production in the stomach. Concern has grown over a potential association between long-term use of these drugs and bone fractures, although the researchers say that previous studies have had conflicting results and many did not take other factors (called
confounders) that might affect the risk of fracture into account.
In their
cohort study of nearly 80,000 post-menopausal women, the researchers set out to examine the association between long-term use of PPIs and the risk of hip fracture. Unlike a
randomised controlled trial, a cohort study cannot prove cause and effect. However, cohort studies enable researchers to follow large groups of people for long periods and they are useful for looking at potential long-term risks and benefits of treatments. The study was
prospective, which means it followed participants in time, rather than collecting information retrospectively. This makes it more reliable.
What did the research involve?
This study took its data from a large ongoing US study called the Nurses Health Study, which began in 1976 and which sent health questionnaires every two years to 121,700 female nurses aged 30-55.
From 1982 participants were asked to report all previous hip fractures and in each biennial questionnaire, women were asked if they had sustained a hip fracture over the previous two years. Those who reported a hip fracture were sent a follow-up questionnaire asking for more details. Fractures from bad accidents, such as falling down a flight of stairs, were excluded from the study. A review of medical records for 30 of the women validated all self-reported fractures.
From 2000 to 2006 the women were asked if they had regularly used a PPI in the previous two years. In earlier questionnaires (1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000), the women were also asked if they had regularly used other drugs for acid reflux, called H2 blockers.
The biennial questionnaires also included questions on other factors including menopausal status, body weight, leisure activities, smoking and alcohol use, use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other medicines. Researchers used a validated food frequency questionnaire to calculate the women’s total intake of calcium and vitamin D.
They then analysed the data for any association between regular use of PPIs and hip fracture, adjusting their findings for key confounders such as body weight, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol and calcium intake. They also took into account whether the reasons for using a PPI might have affected the results.
Finally, they carried out a systematic review combining their results with 10 previous studies on the risk of hip fracture and the long-term use of PPIs.
What were the basic results?
The researchers documented 893 hip fractures during the period of the study. They also found that, in 2000, 6.7% of women regularly used a PPI – a figure that had risen to 18.9% by 2008.
- Amongst women who had regularly taken a PPI at any time, there were 2.02 hip fractures per 1,000 person years, compared with 1.51 fractures per 1,000 person years among non-users.
- Women who regularly used PPIs for at least two years had a 35% higher risk of hip fracture than non-users (age adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.35; 95%
confidence interval (CI) 1.13 to 1.62), with longer use associated with increasing risk. Adjustment for risk factors, including body mass index, physical activity and intake of calcium did not alter this association (HR 1.36; CI 1.13 to 1.63).
The increased risk did not change when researchers also took into account the reasons for PPI use:
- Current and former smokers who regularly used PPIs were 51% more likely to have a hip fracture than non-users (HR 1.51; (CI) 1.20 to 1.91).
- Among women who never smoked there was no association between PPI use and hip fracture (HR 1.06; (CI) 0.77 to 1.46).
- In a meta-analysis of these results with 10 previous studies, the risk of hip fracture in users of PPI was higher compared with non-users of PPIs (pooled odds ratio 1.30; CI 1.25 to 1.36).
The researchers also found that two years after women stopped taking PPIs, their risk of hip fracture returned to a similar level to that in women who had never taken them. Also, women taking H2 blockers had a “modest” increased risk of hip fracture but the risk was higher in women who took PPIs.
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers conclude that their results provide “compelling evidence” of a risk between PPI use and hip fracture. They say the findings suggest that the need for long-term, continuous use of PPIs should be carefully evaluated, particularly among people who have smoked or are still smokers.
They suggest that PPIs may increase the risk of fracture by impairing the absorption of calcium, although in this study the risk of fracture was not affected by dietary calcium intake. The finding that the risk was confined to women with a history of smoking (an established risk factor for fracture) indicates that smoking and PPIs may act together (have a “synergistic effect”) on fracture risk.
Conclusion
This large study had several strengths. Unlike some previous studies, it collected information on and took into account other key risk factors for fracture, including body weight, smoking, alcohol use and physical activity. It also looked at the women’s use of PPIs every two years (rather than just asking them once) and took into account variations in use during this time in their analysis.
However, as the authors note, it also had some limitations:
- It did not ask about the brands of PPI used, nor the doses of PPI the women took, both of which could affect risk of fracture.
- The information about hip fracture was self-reported and not confirmed by medical records (although a smaller study has found self-reporting of hip fracture to be reliable).
- Also, the study did not record the women’s bone mineral density (BMD). Low BMD is an important risk factor for fracture and adding a measure of this could have strengthened the study.
Finally, because this was a cohort study, other factors both measured and unmeasured may have affected the results, even though researchers took many of these into account in their analysis. Socio-economic status and education, for example, were not established. Because this was a study of registered nurses, the applicability of the results to other socio-economic groups might be limited.
This study found that the long-term, regular use of these drugs is associated with a small increased risk in hip fracture among older women, a risk that seems to be confined to past or current smokers. Women who regularly take PPIs and who are concerned about these findings are advised to talk to their GP. Whether any change in use of this commonly prescribed drug is needed requires further study.
Links To The Headlines
Indigestion drugs taken by millions linked to hip fractures. The Daily Telegraph, February 1 2012
Heartburn pills taken by thousands of women 'raise risk of hip fractures by up to 50 per cent'. Daily Mail, February 1 2012
Ulcer drugs 'link to fractures'. BBC News, February 1 2012
Links To Science
Khalili H, Huang ES, Jacobson BC, et al.
Use of proton pump inhibitors and risk of hip fracture in relation to dietary and lifestyle factors: a prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal. Published online January 31 2012
Merlin
Democratic Republic of the Congo (the)
16 Feb 2012
Programme: Democratic Republic of Congo, N Kivu Responsible To: Provincial Director (PD) Responsible For: All Provincial Finance Team Works With: Country Support Director in Goma, Financial Advisor in London, Operations Manager (N Kivu) Location: Goma, DRC with extensive travel to field sites in N Kivu Start Date: ASAP Duration: 24 months Salary and Benefits: ?33,480 - ?34,230 per annum per annum (dependant on relevant experience), inclusive of annual Cost of Living Allowance Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, annual leave entitlement of 24 days per annum rising to 30 days at the completion of 12 months of continuous employment with Merlin.
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short-listed on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date.
Please note that an assessment will need to be carried out to confirm if this position can be accompanied.
Merlin Undaunted and determined, Merlin saves lives. We deliver medical expertise to the toughest places. And we stay to help build lasting health care.
Our mission is to end the needless loss of life in the poorest countries caused by a lack of effective health care. We help communities set up medical services for the long term including hospitals, clinics, surgeries and training for nurses and other health workers.
We do whatever it takes and we stay for as long as it takes.
Context and Background The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa and one of the poorest. Decades of dictatorship and civil war have left much of the national infrastructure destroyed.
Merlin has been operational in DRC since 1997. Merlin teams have provided emergency medical care to the most vulnerable populations in Maniema, Kasai Oriental , North Kivu and Orientale Provinces. Activities have included emergency response, support to primary and secondary health care facilities (including supervision, supply of drugs, and the payment of incentives), reproductive health, institutional capacity building, immunisation campaigns, nutrition, WASH, and the rehabilitation of health facilities.
From 1 January 2012 Maniema and North Kivu will operate as autonomous programmes, each reporting direct to head office in London; they will be supported by country offices in Goma and Kinshasa.
In North Kivu Merlin currently works in Rutshuru/Binza, Kayna, and Birambizu health zones, providing essential health care services to DPs and host populations; and will provide the health component of the rapid response to movements of population (RRMP) mechanism throughout the province.
Main purpose of the role As a Provincial Finance Director, you will provide leadership and financial management to the multi-programme and multi-site operation in N Kivu province.
Overall Objectives (scope) • Directly manage the Provincial Finance Team to ensure effective and proactive financial leadership, support and guidance is provided to managers in the province
• Ensure that mechanisms are in place to prepare and report field finances to head office • Ensure that budget preparation, financial reporting and amendment planning for donors is implemented in a timely manner and approved by head office before submission
• Ensure appropriate systems and procedures, support and guidance for country programmes • Be a member of the Province Management Team and take the lead role on financial planning, forecasting, budgeting and developing financial management capacity throughout the country
Responsibilities
Leadership Responsibilities • Responsible for all the Province programmes financial matters; ensuring that sound financial practices, rigorous budgetary and financial management controls are implemented and imbedded. • Ensure that Merlin's minimum standards of financial procedures, policies and guidelines are understood and adhered to throughout the Province programme, briefing and training all relevant staff as required. • As part of the Province Management Team (CMT) you will influence the strategic financial direction of the whole programme. Assisting the programmes teams in developing the financial elements of their project/programme plans. • Develop and implement the annual financial strategy and support cost budgets. Monitoring and reviewing its progress on a regular basis. • Work in close collaboration with members of the CMT; sharing information on the assessments and proposed interventions, providing overviews of financial requirements for the development of project proposals and subsequent projects. • Manage staff effectively, including appropriate and systematic delegation
Financial Management • Assist project staff in developing proposals (including budgets and activity plans) and subsequent revisions in accordance with external donor requirements. • Monitor, supervise and assist in preparing all interim financial and final reports to donors, in a timely manner, to ensure compliance with contractual and legal requirements. • Ensure the timely preparation and communication of monthly financial reports for the Province Director, Project Coordinators and Head Office, providing them with meaningful and accurate financial information to enable them to manage project and core budgets effectively. This should include advising on significant variances against budget, and making recommendations for corrective actions to ensure expenditure is in line with budgets. • Conduct regular field trips to project sites to monitor compliance with financial procedures, review activity progress and assist managers in identifying the financial implications of changes in proposed activities and revising budget lines as required. • Ensure a set of complete and accurate financial records is maintained, including all relevant supporting documentation for each project. • Facilitate visits by, and meet the requirements of, external auditors. • Ensure compliance with local regulations in respect of financial and other matters (e.g. Registration, Foreign Exchange, taxation, Province audits and labour laws). • Overall responsibility for managing and maintaining the Province balance sheets including salary advance accounts • Overall responsibility of treasury management for the entire Province programme. • Induct and regularly advise/capacity build on finance systems and controls for finance and non finance staff. • Develop the financial aspects of the programme emergency preparedness plan, in co-ordination with the CMT, and train finance staff in managing the financial aspects of in emergencies. • Work with the Finance Department in London to support head office initiatives and specific requirements.
Human Resource Management • Undertake expatriate staff appraisals for provincial finance team in accordance with Merlin’s Human Resources procedures • Maintain good team communication, engender positive team dynamics and take remedial action as soon as problems occur as advised by the Provincial HR/Admin Manager • Support team members professionally and monitor and support stress management • Provide support to in the recruitment process for provincial finance staff
Person Specification Essential Qualifications, experience and competences
• Accounting qualification (Degree or professional equivalent). • Strong communication skills with written and spoken French & English. • Experience of donor reporting requirements. • Experience of implementing financial control systems. • In depth knowledge of financial systems, financial/administrative management and reporting. • Strong communication skills including strong EXCEL skills (worksheet functions, data functions, pivot tables). • Good decision making skills on financial aspects of information management. • Good training/capacity building and management skills. • Focussed individual with capacity to plan and manage in a multiple deadline-working environment. • Pro-active financial manager with risk assessment aptitude. • Willingness to work in an insecure environment. • Understanding of security issues and guidelines. • Ability to work on own initiative. • Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures • Experience of a flexible approach to managing and prioritising a high workload and multiple tasks in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines • Experience of proactively identifying and addressing issues • An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values
Desirable Qualifications, experience and competences
• Previous experience of working in field financial management. • Experience of working in NGO sector organizations. • Experience of field administrative/HR management. • Previous experience of working in Central/West Africa
To apply for this position To apply for this job, please go to
www.merlin.org.uk/jobs and apply using our online recruitment system. In order to apply for a job with Merlin online you will need to complete a short registration process and create an account – the online recruitment system explains how to do this. Once your account has been created, you will be able to save the information that you have entered in your application and re-visit it at any time before you submit it.
If you are unable to apply online for any technical reason, please contact
applications@merlin.org.uk.
Please note that we do not accept CVs. Unfortunately due to the number of applications we receive, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
New heart disease, diabetes and dementia drugs could emerge from new insight into the benefits of resveratrol - a chemical contained in red grape skin that is found, in small quantities, in red wine.
Resveratrol's health-giving properties have already been studied in depth but it's only now that scientists know that, not only does it promote energy in human cells, it does so by fooling them into thinking they haven't got enough to begin with.
Armed with this knowledge, a research team based at the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) believe drug manufacturers could draw on resveratrol to produce a new range of treatments for a whole range of conditions.
Red Wine Drugs
Details of their red wine drugs work appear in the Cell publication and, separate to this, a UK-based source described its benefits to The Telegraph.
"Although you can get resveratrol from red wine, you would need to drink about 700 bottles to get a meaningful dose", Cambridge University's Doctor Andrew Murray explained, adding: "This study is important because the effects of resveratrol on the cell were identified, so that more potent drugs could be developed to mimic its effects."
The basis of the new study were tests carried out with mice but it emphasises that animal-based research doesn't necessarily yield results that will be mirrored in humans.
Wine Drug Treatments
Therefore, further research will be required, probably involving human subjects, before the advent of market-ready wine-based drug treatments.
"Resveratrol has potential as a therapy for diverse diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and heart disease", Doctor Jay Chung, from the NHLBI's Laboratory of Obesity and Aging Research explained in a press statement. "However, before researchers can transform resveratrol into a safe and effective medicine, they need to know exactly what it targets in cells."
"This result underscores the need for careful, well-controlled studies to illuminate how these natural products operate", his colleague Robert Balaban added. "As Dr. Chung's work suggests, the effects of resveratrol seem to be more complicated than originally thought.
"However, this new insight into the phosphodiesterases might prove an interesting avenue to pursue."
By Phil Serafino
Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- A Johnson & Johnson prostate-cancer medicine discovered in England and developed with funds from U.K. charities is too expensive for the country’s National Health Service.
The NHS shouldn’t pay for Zytiga because the drug’s benefits don’t justify the cost even after the manufacturer agreed to cut the price, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said in a statement today. The agency, known as NICE, advises the state-run medical system on which treatments it should pay for. J&J and the public have a chance to comment on the decision, which is preliminary, NICE said.
Advocates for cancer patients criticized the ruling, saying the drug helps keep men alive after chemotherapy has failed to stop their cancer. Zytiga, which costs 2,930 pounds ($4,640) for a 30-day supply, may extend life by more than three months compared with a placebo, and can be taken orally at home, London-based NICE said. The agency isn’t disclosing the discount that New Brunswick, New Jersey-based J&J agreed to provide.
Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Johnson & Johnson hid studies showing its Risperdal anti-psychotic drug caused diabetes to protect billions of dollars in sales, a lawyer said in the first personal-injury claim over the medication to go to trial.
Researchers at J&J’s Janssen unit knew as early as 1999 that a study found Risperdal caused diabetes at a higher rate than a competing drug and failed to hand over the results to regulators probing links between the disease and anti-psychotic medicines, Fletch Trammell, a lawyer for a former Risperdal user, told a New Jersey jury today in opening statements.
“The evidence will show Janssen buried studies for a competitive advantage,” Trammell told jurors in state court in New Brunswick, New Jersey. J&J, the world’s second-largest health-products maker, is based in the city.
The trial of Gary Skala’s claims that his 14 years’ worth of Risperdal use caused his diabetes began two weeks after J&J agreed to pay $158 million to settle Texas officials’ claims that it fraudulently marketed the drug.
Erectile dysfunction diminishes sexual stamina in men. Men cannot keep erections for long time. In fact they lose so early that does not even allow intercourse get complete satisfactorily. ED is pathetic and so its effects. Retain everything back by using the
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The drug contains a rare ingredient called Sildenafil citrate. Sildenafil is a discerning discovery of healthcare professionals. Its uniqueness is that it treats impotence exclusively without troubling men much. All anti impotence medications are made up of using Sildenafil only. However, Scifil is the most used anti impotence drug.
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Getting Up At Night To Pee Doesn't Have To Be
(Reuters Health) - A new study finds that one in five U.S. men have to get up at least twice a night to empty their bladders -- which for some could signal an underlying medical problem or even contribute to poorer health.
Known as nocturia, those frequent overnight trips to the bathroom can be a sign of a health condition, ranging from a urinary tract infection to diabetes to chronic heart failure. In men, a benign enlargement of the prostate can also be a cause.
For some people, the constant sleep disruptions can themselves cause problems -- contributing to depression symptoms or, particularly in older adults, falls.
On the other hand, getting up during the night to urinate can also be normal. If you drink a lot of fluids close to bedtime, for example, don't be surprised if your bladder wakes you up at night.
Nocturia also becomes more common with age. Part of that is related to older adults' higher rate of medical conditions. But it could also result from a decrease in bladder capacity that comes with age.
The researchers found that men age 20 and up, 21 percent said they had gotten up at least twice per night to urinate.
Nocturia was more common among African-American men (30 percent) than those of other races and ethnicities (20 percent). Not surprisingly, it also increased with age: Just 8 percent of men ages 20 to 34 reported it, compared with 56 percent of men age 75 or older.
Other factors linked to an increased risk of nocturia included prostate enlargement, a history of prostate cancer, high blood pressure and depression.
Nocturia can also be a side effect of some medications, such as diuretics used to treat high blood pressure. This study did not have information on men's medication use.
Avoiding caffeine and a large fluid intake at night may help as may other lifestyle tactics, like adjusting your sleep habits.
One recent study of 56 older adults with nocturia found that lifestyle changes -- including fluid restriction, limiting any excess hours in bed, moderate daily exercise, and keeping warm while sleeping -- helped more than half of the patients significantly cut down their overnight trips to the bathroom.
There are also medications available specifically for overactive bladder and nocturia. Those include a synthetic version of a hormone, anti-diuretic hormone, that keeps the body from making urine at night, a drug that blocks the ability of the bladder muscles to contract, and antidepressants that make it harder to urinate by increasing tension at the bladder neck.
The bottom line for men is that bothersome nocturia is something they should bring up to their doctor.
SOURCE: bit.ly/fGZKNN Journal of Urology, online January 19, 2011
Medtronic and Boston Scientific throw their support behind the tentative agreement, which more than doubles the FDA's medical device review user fees over the next 5 years, but Cook Medical isn't convinced that the agency can keep its promises.
Medical device makers and industry lobbyists lined up in support of the tentative agreement inked with the FDA to double user fees in exchange for performance goals, but some voices in the crowd said 'nay.'
AdvaMed's Ubl calls MDUFMA III a "game-changer," AngioDynamics' CEO says the Navilyst deal hits the reset button and a clutch of former reps of a Symmetry Medical subsidiary consent to judgement in a lawsuit accusing them of cooking the books.
Say hello to MassDevice +3, a bite-sized view of the top three med-tech stories of the day. This feature of MassDevice.com's coverage highlights our 3 biggest and most influential stories from the day's news to make sure you're up to date on the headlines that continue to shape the medical device industry.
If you read nothing else today, make sure you're still in the know with MassDevice +3.
News Well,
510(k) reforms,
Food & Drug Administration (FDA),
MDUFMA,
Mergers & Acquisitions,
Plus 3,
Wall Street Beat
Most of us are uncomfortable talking about our waste products, urine and feces. However, changes in the color and odor may signify disease that can be treated or prevented. This article will review causes of discoloration of urine and when there is a change in the odor of urine.
For hundreds of years doctors have looked at urine as a barometer of what is happening in the body. The urine can tell what you have been eating, how much fluid you are consuming, and what diseases you may have. Early doctors even tasted the urine of their patients in order to diagnose their medical conditions. Fortunately, we have made progress and a simple urinalysis can make this determination in seconds.
Urine is an important part of the body's regulation process. Its job is to remove the extra water and wastes that the kidneys filter out of the blood. The urine is there primarily to get rid of toxins or things that would otherwise build up in the body that would be bad for the body.
When you notice that your urine has changed color, or there's a strange odor emanating from the toilet, the cause might be something as harmless as what you had for dinner such as asparagus. It also might be a sign of a more serious condition, such as an infection or cancer.
Color Changes
Urine normally varies from pale yellow to deep amber, depending on the concentration of the urine, which is determined by the amount of fluid you consume. Darker urine is usually a sign that you're not drinking enough water. Correction is as simple as consuming more liquids, especially water.
The opposite is also true. If your urine is very pale, it means that you're either drinking a lot of fluid, or you're taking a diuretic or water pill which is a drug that forces the body to eliminate excess water.
Urine can turn a rainbow of colors, and an unusual hue isn't necessarily cause for alarm. Certain medications can turn the urine fluorescent green or blue, the carotene in carrots can tint it orange, and vitamins can give it a yellow hue. Pyridium, a medication, which is used to treat burning on urination, will turn the urine orange-red.
Seeing red is typically a sign that there is blood in the urine, but before you panic, know that a little blood can produce a dramatic color change. Just like a drop of food coloring will add color to a large volume of food or fluids, it only takes one drop of blood to turn an entire toilet bowl red.
Red urine is usually an ominous sign and can indicate an infection or maybe even cancer. Red blood is a real warning sign and should prompt you to see your doctor or urologist, a doctor who specializes in disease of the kidneys and bladder.
Odor Changes
Urine normally doesn't have a very strong smell. If your urine has a foul odor, you could have an infection or urinary stones, which can create an ammonia-like odor. Diabetics might notice that their urine smells sweet, because of excess sugar.
Some foods can also change urine odor. Asparagus is among the most notorious. What people are smelling when they eat asparagus is the breakdown of a sulfur compound called methyl mercaptan (the same compound found in garlic).
How Often Do You Need to Go?
How often you need to go can be as important an indicator of your health as the color or smell of your urine. Most people take bathroom breaks about six to eight times a day, but you might go more or less depending on how much fluid you drink. If you're constantly feeling the urge to go and it's not because you're not drinking extra fluid, causes can include:
Overactive bladder (when you gotta go, you gotta go!), urinary tract infection, Interstitial cystitis (painful urination without an infection), prostate gland enlargement, and diabetes.
The opposite problem, not going to the bathroom enough, can occur when there is a blockage or infection. Or, it can be the result of bad bathroom habits. Some people -- especially teachers, surgeons, and anyone else who doesn't have time for regular bathroom breaks throughout the day -- tend to hold it in.
Delaying urination can also cause problems. The bladder can develop a chronic over-distension and will not empty completely. As a result urine is left in the bladder and can be a source for developing a urinary tract infection.
Develop good bathroom habits.
Drink whenever you're thirsty, but certainly increase your fluids before going outside in the hot summer sun or before exercising.
If you're getting up during the night to use the bathroom, stop drinking three to four hours before bedtime. Limit caffeine, which can irritate the lining of the bladder. Also watch your intake of alcohol, which can have an effect similar to a diuretic.
Finally, don't hold it in. Don't delay answering the call of the rest room. Your bladder will thank you.
Bottom Line: Pay attention to the color and odor of your urine. If there is a change, contact your physician.
Category: Health News
Created: 2/1/2012 4:06:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/2/2012
Category: Health News
Created: 2/1/2012 11:01:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/1/2012
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