health news

A relatively new sexually transmitted infection has surpassed Neisseria gonorrhea in prevalence among young adults in the US, according to a new study.
Mycoplasma genitalium was first identified in the 1980s. It can cause inflammation of the urethra (the urinary passage from the bladder), in men, and inflammation of the cervix and the lining of the uterus in women, possibly leading to infertility. However, it seems many cases of the infection are symptom-free.
In the current study, researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, tested 1714 women and 1218 men between the ages of 18 and 27 years participating in Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
Results of the study are published in the American Journal of Public Health. The investigators found Mycoplasma genitalium infection in 1.0 percent of the participants. In contrast, the prevalence of gonorrhea was 0.4 percent. The prevalence of chlamydia infection was 4.2 percent.
The prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium infection was 11 times higher among individuals living with a sexual partner, seven times higher among blacks and four times higher among those who use condoms during sex.
None of the genitalium-positive individuals had any discharge.
"Many M. genitalium infections are asymptomatic, like chlamydial infections," principal investigator Dr. Lisa Manhart told Reuters Health. "However, unlike chlamydia, it is probably too soon to recommend widespread screening for M. genitalium."
There are no commercial tests to detect the organism, she explained. Furthermore, she and her colleagues note in their report that it is not clear "whether M. genitalium-infected persons require or benefit from treatment -- and if so, what antimicrobial therapy should be recommended."

| Tags: Men's Health, Sexual Health, Women's Health |

Labels: Men's Health, Public Health, Sexual Health, Women's Health

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects 10 percent to 15 percent of people in the United States but is misunderstood by many patients and doctors, says Dr. William D. Chey, a gastroenterologist at the University of Michigan Health System.

Symptoms of IBS include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. To help people with IBS gain a better understanding of the condition, Chey offered the following information about the condition:

IBS does not exist in the patient's head. While psychological distress or stress can make IBS worse, they're not the primary cause of the condition in most cases.
IBS occurs more frequently in women but "it's important that people know that there are many men diagnosed with IBS, and it also affects the elderly.
IBS can have a significant negative effect on quality of life and the ability to function on a day-to-day basis, and should be taken seriously by both doctors and patients.
Lactose intolerance may play a role in some cases of IBS, but it's not the cause of symptoms in the vast majority of people.

Most people with IBS don't need to limit themselves to bland diets. Chey recommended that patients keep a diary of the food they eat and IBS symptoms. "At the end of a two-week period, it's possible to get a fairly good idea about whether there are specific trigger foods associated with the onset of symptoms. Those foods then can be easily eliminated from a patient's diet," he said. Chey noted that fatty foods, milk products, chocolate, alcohol, caffeine and carbonated drinks are more likely to aggravate IBS symptoms.

Thanks Chey, for your guidelines, "patients diary" its great idea.

| Tags: Digestive, Men's Health, Stress, Women's Health |

Labels: Digestive, Men's Health, Stress, Women's Health

A substance present in the body as a result of inflammation may also help cause male infertility, new research suggests.

A team at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y., identified unusual levels of a substance called "macrophage migration inhibitory factor" (MIF) in semen samples obtained from infertile men.

Reporting in the current issue of Molecular Medicine, the researchers theorize that identification of this factor could lead to tests for infertility as well as the development of a male contraceptive.

Inflammation occurs when the body endures infections such as sepsis (blood infection), autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The factor is present in high levels during those conditions and is linked in some cases to tissue damage.

The researchers analyzed semen from 27 fertile men and 68 infertile men after several days of sexual abstinence. They found that men with fertility problems had MIF levels that were either too low or too high.

Healthy levels of MIF help sperm mature so they can unite with an egg, the team said. When they added the factor to Petri dishes containing healthy sperm, the number and mobility of the sperm decreased.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 2.1 million infertile couples in the United States. Almost 40 percent of infertility problems are due to the male.

Sourse - HealthDay News

| Tags: Diabetes, Heart Health, Men's Health, Sexual Health |

Labels: Arthritis, Diabetes, Heart Health, Men's Health, Sexual Health

Scientists in Hong Kong and China have identified for the first time a protein in sperm from humans and from mice that could be responsible for many unexplained cases of male infertility.

Defective versions of the protein, called epithelial ion channel, have previously been reported to be responsible for female infertility.

Writing in the latest issue of the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences journal, the researchers said they detected the protein in sperm samples from mice and human subjects.

| Tags: Men's Health, Sexual Health |

Labels: Men's Health, Sexual Health

Pap test is basic exam that women do after 20 years old, this test help doctors spot precancerous lesions and wipe them out before they have a chance to turn malignant.

Dr. Joel Palefsky, director of the Anal Neoplasia Clinic at UCSF, encourages anal Pap tests for gay men and other groups at high risk of developing anal cancer.

"We haven't proven it yet, but we believe that we are likely to be preventing anal cancer," said Palefsky, who hopes this summer to publish results from a study on anal cancer prevention. "Our approach is to move forward on the assumption that we are preventing cancer and working in parallel to the kind of research studies that will convince everyone else."

| Tags: Cancer, Men's Health, Sexual Health |

Labels: Cancer, Men's Health, Sexual Health, Women's Health

Various medications, supplements and other substances can trigger or worsen high blood pressure (hypertension). Sometimes these substances interfere with medications intended to lower blood pressure.

If you have patient tha have high blood pressure and it's not responding well to treatment, check substances patient are taking — including illicit drugs.

There are some Examples

Antidepressants
Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Zyban)
Desipramine (Norpramin)
Phenelzine (Nardil)
Venlafaxine (Effexor, Effexor XR)
COX-2 inhibitors

Celecoxib (Celebrex)
Immunosuppressants

Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune)
Methylprednisolone (Medrol)
Tacrolimus (Prograf, Protopic)

NSAIDS
Some NSAIDs can also cause fluid retention and kidney problems, which may increase blood pressure — especially for people who already have high blood pressure.
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
Meloxicam (Mobic)
Naproxen (Naprosyn)
Naproxen sodium (Aleve)
- - in my practic i have found with Voltaren(diclofenac) injection

Acetaminophen
Heavy use of the pain reliever acetaminophen may increase the risk of high blood pressure. In a 2005 study, women who took an average of 500 milligrams or more of acetaminophen daily over several years were more likely to develop high blood pressure than were women who didn't take any acetaminophen. It's not known if the same holds true for men.

Herbal supplements
Herbal supplements aren't necessarily safe just because they're natural. Various herbal supplements can increase blood pressure or interfere with the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.
Bitter orange
Ephedra (ma-huang)
Ginseng
Licorice
St. John's wort


Illicit drugs
Illicit drugs can raise blood pressure by narrowing the arteries that supply blood to your heart. This increases your heart rate and damages heart muscle.
Amphetamines, including methamphetamine
Anabolic steroids
Cocaine
Ecstasy
Phencyclidine (PCP)

| Tags: Heart Health, Men's Health |

Labels: Heart Health, Men's Health, Women's Health

Infertility -- defined by the American Academy of Family Physicians as the inability of a couple to become pregnant after one year of trying -- affects about 15 percent of the population.

The academy offers this list of common causes of male infertility:
-The most common cause is varicocele, when the veins in the scrotum become enlarged. This can affect sperm production by heating the inside of the scrotum.
-A blockage in the reproductive system.
-Low sperm count.
-Abnormally shaped sperm, or sperm that move abnormally.
-An undescended testicle.
-Certain medications.
-Another medical problem.

Sourse - HealthDay News

| Tags: Men's Health, Sexual Health |

Labels: Men's Health, Sexual Health

The more alcohol men habitually consume, the more likely they are to have a sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD), a new study says.

Conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the study included 775 men and 645 women who were evaluated for alcohol consumption and SRBD. Relative to men who consumed less alcohol, men who habitually consumed more alcohol were 25 percent more likely to have a mild or worse SRBD.

The study was published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Sleep Medicine.

"Experimental evidence is fairly consistent in demonstrating acute effects of alcohol exposure on initiating or exacerbating an SRBD, perhaps by reducing upper airway patency via reduced dilatory muscle tone, or by blunted ventilatory response to hypoxia," Peppard said. "Based on the previous experimental evidence, men and women with an SRBD, or those particularly susceptible to SRBD, should be advised to avoid alcohol near bedtime."

| Tags: Addiction, Men's Health |

Labels: Addiction, Men's Health, Women's Health

The male hormone-suppressing treatment used against aggressive prostate cancer may help bring on earlier heart attacks in older men, new research suggests.

"The new finding is that in men who have risk factors for heart attack, even six months of androgen-suppression therapy [and] maybe as little as three months, can cause a heart attack to occur sooner by about 2.5 years," said lead researcher Dr. Anthony D'Amico, chief of genitourinary radiation oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

More information
A guide to prostate cancer is offered by the American Cancer Society.

| Tags: Cancer, Men's Health, Prostate Cancer |

Labels: Cancer, Heart Health, Men's Health, Prostate Cancer, Women's Health

A new study with mice suggests that diets high in omega-3 fatty acids from fish might help slow prostate cancer.

The comparable levels of dietary omega-3s used in the study "are much higher than the average Western diet, but they are not unachievable," said senior researcher Yong Chen, a professor of cancer biology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Omega-3 fatty acids -- especially the "long-chain" forms found in oily fish -- have become the latest nutrition superstars, with studies suggesting they can help prevent heart disease and even cancer.

The exact mechanism driving the purported anti-cancer effect is still unclear, Chen said. One leading theory contends that specific cellular enzymes metabolize omega-3s in ways that retard malignancy.

More information
There's more on omega-3 fatty acids and cancer at the American Cancer Society.
| Tags: Cancer, Men's Health, Prostate Cancer |

Labels: Cancer, Heart Health, Men's Health, Nutrition, Prostate Cancer

Too many American men are receiving inappropriate PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood tests for prostate cancer, researchers say.

In many cases, these screenings are being done in populations of either young or elderly men where the test has not proven beneficial, the experts report in the July 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"PSA screening is performed inappropriately in a great proportion in many cases," said lead author Dr. B. Price Kerfoot, from the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School.

For example, most current guidelines do not recommend PSA screening for men younger than 40 years of age, older than 75, or for men who are expected to live less than another 10 years, Kerfoot said. But many men in these groups are nonetheless getting the tests, the study found.

More information
For more information on the risk for prostate cancer, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

| Tags: Men's Health, Prostate Cancer |

Labels: Cancer, Men's Health, Prostate Cancer

When it comes to a woman's choice of a life-partner, a man's face may mean a lot, a new study finds.

Many women regard men with masculine facial features -- such as a square jaw, larger nose and smaller eyes -- as unsuitable long-term partners, because they're more likely to be domineering, unfaithful, unaffectionate and poor parents, U.K. researchers have found.

On the other hand, women believe that men with finer facial features -- fuller lips, wide eyes and thinner, more curved eyebrows -- to be more committed, less likely to cheat, and to make better parents, said the study by psychologists at Durham and St. Andrews Universities.

More information
There's more on first impressions at the American Psychological Association.

| Tags: Anxiety, Relationships, Women's Health |

Labels: Anxiety, Men's Health, Relationships, Women's Health