Health

Drugs Like Viagra Linked to Higher Rates of STDs

2010-07-06T01:44:00.000-07:00

But it's the behavior, not the medication, that's to blame, researchers say

MONDAY, July 5 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged and older men who take erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra are more likely to have sexually transmitted diseases, a new study of more than 1.4 million men finds.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Southern California say the fault lies not with the drugs but rather the high risk behaviors of the men who request them. And doctors should counsel these patients about safe sex practices, they said.

Small studies of men who have sex with men have associated the use of ED drugs with higher risk behaviors and increased rates of STDs, but this report, published in the July 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, is said to be the first to examine the relationship between ED drugs and STD risk in a large, representative sample of privately insured older men. The researchers had no way of knowing how many of the men were bisexual vs. homosexual.

"Primary care doctors don't usually talk to older men about safe sexual practices, and that's partly because rates of STDs are much lower in this group than in younger men, on the order of one per 1,000 individuals," said study author Dr. Anupam B. Jena, an internal medicine resident at Massachusetts General. "But what our findings suggest is that just by virtue of asking for an ED drug, these men are identifying themselves as being at two to three times higher risk of STDs."

Jena and his co-authors examined health insurance claims records covering 1997 though 2006 from 44 large U.S. employers. The study group included about 34,000 male beneficiaries over 40 who used ED drugs, for whom the researchers collected data covering one year before and one year after the first prescription was filled, and nearly 1.37 million men over 40 who were non-users, for whom claims data was also collected.

Men who had been prescribed an ED drug were two to three times more likely than non-users to have sexually transmitted diseases, and this was true both in the year before and after the first prescription was filled. The most frequently reported STD was HIV/AIDS, followed by chlamydia. The data gathered could not indicate whether ED drug use itself increased STD risk, but Jena said he and his colleagues are investigating that question in a separate study.

Jena speculated that HIV/AIDS was the most frequently reported STD because "the symptoms that are associated with a primary HIV infection are the kinds of things that make men more likely to show up to a doctor, rather than go to a free clinic where they know they can get tested for an STD anonymously."

Use of medication to treat ED has grown significantly since the introduction of sildenafil (Viagra) in 1998, and earlier research has found that men over 50 are much less likely than young men to use condoms, according to background information in the study.

"This study confirms what we've suspected for a while, which is that the men who are using these drugs aren't just those who have erectile dysfunction, but they're also men in high risk groups who take it to enhance sexual activity," said Dr. Peter Leone, a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina and board chair of the National Coalition of STD Directors. "So it's not that the drug is leading to the behavior. It's really the other way around."

The findings suggest a need for greater responsibility in prescribing ED medications, added Leone. "Doctors need to realize that unless these patients are always using condoms or are in mutually monogamous relationships, they need routine STD screening with repeated follow-ups."

Hoop Yourself Slim With This Hula Hoop Workout

2010-07-05T03:22:00.000-07:00

A superfun belly-blaster

By Su Reid-St. John

Everyone from Zooey Deschanel to First Lady Michelle Obama is hot for hula hooping. To get in the swing, too, try our exhilarating hula hoop workout from Gabriella Redding, CEO and creator of Hoopnotica, a Los Angeles–based company that offers hooping classes, plus sells hoops and how-to DVDs.

Start with the basic moves until you feel comfortable, then step up to more advanced ones, mixing and matching for your own personal head-to-toe tone-up. Do any combination of moves for 30 minutes (you’ll burn 150 to 250 calories per workout) three times a week for four weeks and you’ll lose 3 to 6 inches all over your body. Yep, belly included!

Credit: Chris Fanning

8 Cold Drinks for Your Cooler

2010-07-04T07:11:00.001-07:00

Pomegranate Lemonade

This lemonade really packs a punch with the combination of sour lemon juice and tart pomegranate juice. Plus making homemade lemonade means you control the sugar.

Ingredients: Sugar, lemon juice, pomegranate juice, water, ice

Calories: 75

8 Cold Drinks for Your Cooler

2010-07-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

Chill out

Hot summer days call for refreshing drinks. Whip up these family- and figure-friendly sips for a sweet way to cool down.

Berry-Lime Liquado

Buzz fiber-rich berries up in the blender for a refreshing Mexican-style agua fresca.

Ingredients: Strawberries, blueberries, ice, water, limes, agave nectar, fresh mint

Calories: 294 (approximate)

Depression Can Make Pain Worse

2010-07-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

THURSDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) — Being depressed can make real physical pain feel worse, British researchers have found.

Noting that pain and depression often occur at the same time, the current observation blends two competing schools of thought, in which some believe that pain is “all in the head” while others contend that pain is “all in the body.”

To see how pain and depression might intersect, the research team — led by the University of Oxford’s Dr. Chantal Berna — used brain imaging to conduct pain tests on healthy participants who were induced to feel sad.

A depressed mood appeared to affect brain nerve circuitry responsible for emotion, resulting in a stronger perception of pain, according to the report published in the June 1 issue of Biological Psychiatry.

“When the healthy people were made sad by negative thoughts and depressing music, we found that their brains processed pain more emotionally, which lead to them finding the pain more unpleasant,” Berna said in a news release from the journal’s publisher.

Berna’s team theorized that one’s ability to control the negative emotions linked to pain are short-circuited by depression, leading to a bigger punch when pain hits. In other words, depression may not only be a consequence of being in pain. It might actually exacerbate pain, making it worse than it would be for those in a positive frame of mind.

“Our research suggests depressed mood leads to maladaptive changes in brain function associated with pain, and that depressed mood itself could be a target for treatment by medicines or psychotherapy in this context,” Berna explained in the news release.

Following this line of research, the next step would be to study patients with chronic pain, because they often also suffer from depression, the researchers noted. The goal would be to find ways to more effectively treat the millions of people worldwide who experience chronic pain and depression, the authors explained.

25 Surprisingly Salty Processed Foods

2010-07-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

The average person in the U.S. consumes 3,500 milligrams of sodium a day. That’s equivalent to almost 9 grams of salt, or nearly 2 teaspoonfuls—way more than the 2,300 milligrams per day suggested by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

But the majority of excess salt, or 77%, isn’t spooned into your food—it comes from processed foods.

The FDA recently announced a plan to gradually scale back on salt in processed foods, which may be the end of the line for super salty products.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for excess sodium and adjust your intake accordingly. Check out these 25 hidden salt traps you can find lurking in the grocery store.

Kick the Habit...Without Gaining a Pound

2010-07-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Avoid the addiction—and the weight gain

By Leslie Barrie

Studies show that most women will put on about 8 pounds when they stop smoking, in part because the habit curbs your appetite. To avoid weight gain, try these tricks; they may even help you keep the pounds off if you’ve never lit up.

13 Mistakes Fibromyalgia Patients Make

2010-07-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

Navigating fibro

By Amanda Gardner

Dealing with the constant, daily pain of fibromyalgia can be tough. But the task can be even tougher if you fall into some common traps.

Everyone makes mistakes, but there are some missteps that can make it even harder to cope with fibromyalgia.

Learn how to avoid them and make living with fibromyalgia that much easier.