Viagra for diabetes? Not as bizzare as it sounds…

A new study has shown that wonder erectile dysfunction drug Viagra may help to stave off the onset of type 2 diabetes.

The Researchers involved in the study discovered that the medication sildenafil – commonly sold under the brand name Viagra – boosts insulin sensitivity in those people with pre-diabetes, in addition to decreasing a biological marker that signals an increased risk of kidney and heart disease.

People who are in the pre-diabetes range are sometimes referred to as being ‘borderline diabetes’, which occurs when glucose levels are in the higher end of what is deemed ‘normal’, but not quite high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes – a condition that can lead to other complications such as heart disease or stroke, organ damage, blindness, limb amputation and is particularly common in men with suffering with erectile dysfunction.

Pre-diabetic people are typically found to be insulin resistant, meaning their bodies are unable to generate sufficient levels of the hormone insulin, or the hormone doesn’t function as it should in order to get rid of sugar from the blood.

Previous research has shown that if necessary intervention isn’t undertook, as many as 30% of people with pre-diabetes are probably going to go on and develop type 2 diabetes within a mere 5 years, with over 3 million Brits already having this kind of diabetes.

However, studies conducted by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in the US have discovered that sildenafil also can improve the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream by muscle. This can then can then bring down the level of circulating glucose, possibly reducing diabetes risk.
Dr Nancy Brown, of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said: “We need additional strategies to help slow the progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes.

“Weight loss and exercise regimens can be difficult to maintain, and some current medications have been limited by concerns about adverse effects.

“Sildenafil and related drugs could offer a potential avenue for addressing the rising number of diabetes diagnoses.”

Erectile dysfunction drug Viagra (sildenafil) works by inhibiting an enzyme responsible for breaking down a chemical known as cGMP, which relaxes blood vessels. Therefore, if the chemical stays in the body, the vessels will continue relaxing.

For the study – published in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism – 51 overweight participants were involved. All had pre-diabetes and were given either Viagra or a similar-looking placebo for 3 months.

All people were tested to measure how much insulin was being produced by the body in response to sugar in the blood, and how sensitive they were to the hormone. Also, they were given the ‘hyperglycemic clamp’ test prior to, and after, the treatment with the Viagra or equivalent placebo.

Moreover, the participant’s had their urine tested for levels of albumin and creatinine – indicators of heart and kidney health. Overall, 42 of the participants managed to finish the study. Those taking the Viagra were found to be more sensitive to the effects of insulin and had lower levels of albumin in the urine compared to the people taking a placebo.

High amounts of albumin in the urine are a marker of risk for kidney and heart disease.

Dr Brown said: “Because existing drug therapies to prevent type 2 diabetes can have negative effects on the heart or be of limited use in patients with kidney disease, strategies to prevent diabetes without adversely affecting the risk of kidney and heart disease could have a large impact on public health.
“Further studies will be needed to determine whether long-term treatment with drugs like sildenafil can prevent the onset of diabetes in high-risk patients.”

Thousands of Brits could have mycoplasma infection STI

Just when you thought you probably knew about all the different sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in circulation, a new one turns up and is now striking fear amongst health experts that there could be thousands of people living with the disease in the UK – and unaware of it.

Well, despite being commonly reported as a “new” type of infection…Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) – as the STI is being referred as – was first discovered back in the 1980s.

The infection stems from a bacterium located within the urinary and genital tracts of humans. Affecting around 1% of people aged 16 to 44 years old, it does not produce many symptoms – practically none for those already infected – but research has shown it can be passed through unprotected sexual intercourse.

Researchers assessed data extracted from the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, and determined that unsurprisingly, those with a higher number of sexual partners, people failing to use condoms, those living in deprived areas and people in the 25 to 44 age range are most at risk.

Findings reported in the International Journal of Epidemiology demonstrated that 1% of 16 to 44-year-olds in Britain who have had sex are living with MG. The report involved a cross-sectional study analysing the link between sexual activity and MG.

Researchers looked at the urine samples of 4500 people (both men and women) between 16 and 44 years old that had stated previously having sex at some point, in addition to the samples of about 200 people who reported never having had sex.

No cases of the mycoplasma infection were discovered in the people who had never had sex, whilst the infection was found in approximately 1% of the sexually active participants.

The mycoplasma infection was prevalent in 1.2% of men and 1.3% of women. The prevalence peaked at 2.1% in men aged between 25 and 34, while in women, the peak prevalence occurred in 16 to 19 year olds (2.4%) and then decreased with age.

MG seems to more prevalent in those that have had over 4 sexual partners in the preceding 12 months, whilst MG-positive men were found to be likely to have reported a previously diagnosed gonorrhoea, syphilis, or non-specific urethritis, while women reported previous cases of trichomoniasis. Researchers also noted that incidence of MG was higher in those living in the most deprived areas and black men.

The majority of those who came back positive for MG did not report having any noticeable symptoms but a high proportion of women with symptoms, said they were bleeding after sex. Other known symptoms were genital discharge, testicular and pelvic pain, with scientists believing that more long-term ramifications could include pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and female infertility.

Nigel Field, consultant clinical epidemiologist at Public Health England (PHE), and one of the researchers behind the new study, said it had found further evidence that MG is an STI.
“MG is a bacterium that was present in around 1% of the general population aged 16 to 44 years, who had reported at least one sexual partner,” he said.

“The study adds to the accumulating evidence-base that MG causes infection in some men and women, and the study found that women with MG were more likely to report bleeding after sexual activity.

“However, over 90% of men and more than half of women with MG had no symptoms. It may be that MG does not cause illness in all individuals in whom the infection is detected.

“Laboratory testing for MG is not yet widely available in the UK.”

He added that there would need to be more research into the “clinical consequences of MG infection” prior to any work being carried out on screening or preventative methods for the infection.

“PHE has recently established national surveillance to monitor diagnoses of MG from any clinics undertaking testing and will continue to gather public health data on MG to inform policy on infection control,” he said.

“As for all STIs, prevention measures promoting increased condom use and a reduction in sexual risk behaviours are likely to play an important role in efforts to control MG.”

Mycoplasma genitalium is just one of numerous STIs in circulation and until treatment is developed, Medical Specialists® Pharmacy provide treatments for many of the more common STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and genital herpes.

In addition, Medical Specialists® can provide almost 100% accurate pregnancy tests to be used in the privacy and comfort of your own home, a wide variety of condoms to suit different preferences, emergency hormonal contraception (morning after pill), other contraceptive pills, and even a chlamydia test you can take at home and post off for a quick analysis and result, saving you the time and embarrassment of having to personally attend a clinic for a check-up.

Chris Evans and his Hair Loss

Male pattern baldness will affect nearly half of men by the time they reach the age of 50, regardless of social class, race, etc.…that is the simple truth. Hair loss does not discriminate, and Medical Specialists® Pharmacy have reported countless celebrity hair loss stories over the years, such as Wayne Rooney’s very expensive hair transplant at a Harley Street clinic, Justin Bieber cheekily saying that Prince William should use hair loss treatment Propecia, and golfer Rory McilRoy teasing fellow pro Tiger Woods about his diminishing hair.

One story that seems to have resonated with the British public was the article Medical Specialists® published all the way back in 2011 about Chris Evans’ battle with hair loss, leading to a massive surge in traffic to the Medical Specialists® website from men wanting to combat their hair loss as well.

The popular, outspoken television and radio presenter first rose to prominence back in the early 1990s as the presenter of The Big Breakfast, and later his own written-and-presented show ‘Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush’.

With his thick, wavy ginger hair and rather prominent black, square glasses, Evans instantly stood out from the crowd, becoming popular amongst viewers; viewing figures for The Big Breakfast reached around two million per episode in 1993 – the highest rated UK breakfast television programme at the time.

However, Evans has not been without drama in his personal life, now into his third marriage and going through a notoriously bitter and public divorce from former Loose Women presenter Carol McGiffin back in 1994. It could be that these testing times in his personal life have affected his once luxurious thick head of ginger hair. After all, stress is just one of many factors that is often believed to be a contributor to hair loss.

Evans has commented on his hair loss many times in recent years, seemingly intent on fighting the problem before he turns 50 next year. The TV and radio personality actually invited the renowned Harley Street Trichologist Dr Hugh Rushton onto his Radio 2 Drivetime show in June 2008 to discuss some facts about male pattern baldness to listeners.

Then in 2011, the DJ revealed on his Radio 2 show that he was taking hair loss treatment, but did not confirm exactly what the treatment was, but from his comments it would suggest he was taking Propecia. Evans commented that in addition to the new hair growth on his scalp, there had been growth on other areas of his body too.

He said: “I’m taking these pills to help my hair grow but it’s not only the hair on my head that’s growing. Lots of trimming to be done.”

It remains to be seen if the DJ is still taking his hair ‘pills’, but he has most likely stopped them by now, going off the comments he made in October whilst appearing on an episode of Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch. Speaking to presenter Tim Lovejoy, Evans stated he was using ‘drops’ for hair growth, but didn’t specify which drops these were, adding they had been running down his face causing some hair growth there as well.

The drops in question were no doubt obtained from his ‘hair doctor’ Dr Rushton. There is a possibility Evans has already tried Regaine Foam or Regaine Lotion in the first instance, so what is this lotion that he was speaking about. When we asked leading retired Trichologist David Bailey, he said, “…Hugh like myself has dabbled with topical anti-androgens for some time, but it’s quite possible that he may have other ingredients in the lotion like Bimatoprost. This is the ingredient of Lumigan eye drops used for glaucoma, which have been shown to grow eye lashes in the patients that used them, and published medical papers have shown it to have an effect in re-growing male hair loss. Though I cannot go with the statement by Chris Evans, saying he grew facial hair due spillage on his face…I don’t think that is possible.”

Any male or female suffering with hair loss can find all the latest hair loss treatments on the Medical Specialists® website. We have the aforementioned Propecia (for men only), both Regaine Foam and Regaine Lotion (for either men or women), as well as Regaine for Women and Florisene – the latter of which is often taken for female hair loss in addition to the combined oral contraceptive pill Dianette.

Medical Specialists® Pharmacy embrace Ask Your Pharmacist Week 2015

In less than 1 week’s time will see the start of Ask Your Pharmacist (AYP) Week 2015, running from 9-15 November 2015. During past AYP weeks, there have been exhibitions, social media campaigns, opinion surveys by students, poster campaigns etc. to increase patient awareness regarding pharmacy as a healthcare resource.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has published numerous videos, such as one that discusses the services patients can expect from their local pharmacy, in addition to information about pharmacy services which are useful for men, as previous AYP weeks have aimed to boost awareness for men’s health.

For AYP 2015, the primary aims will be to raise public awareness about the services provided at local pharmacies in the framework of the theme “Ask Your Pharmacist about Medicines and More”, such as hammering home the message that a pharmacy isn’t merely just a place to go to collect prescribed medication.

The pharmacy can be so much more! For example, some might be unaware that pharmacies can even provide services to help people stop smoking, maintain a healthy weight, manage alcohol consumption and offer screening and health checks, such as sexually transmitted infection and blood pressure testing. The great news is that patients can pop in without the need for an appointment and many of these services are completely free.

Also, with winter fast approaching, it is also worth remembering that many local pharmacies provide flu jabs – free of charge on the NHS for those in the ‘at risk’ groups. There are an estimated 13,000 community pharmacies within the UK and 96% of people can access a pharmacy in 20 minutes, either by foot or via public transport.

One of the aims of AYP week is that patients understand that pharmacists are not just there for handing out prescriptions and painkillers. This is crucial now more than ever with the government cutting funding for many GP surgeries, meaning it is increasingly difficult to get a doctor’s appointment, and pharmacists are becoming more important.

Approximately 50 million GP visits each year are for non-life threatening problems such as coughs and colds, mild eczema and athlete’s foot. However, if people popped into their local pharmacy instead, they could save both themselves and their GP time and trouble. Instead of attempting to book, and then waiting, for a GP appointment, why not go to see your local pharmacist at any time.

Moreover, we at Medical Specialists® Pharmacy know that it can be sometimes near-impossible nowadays to get in at the doctors, and many patients find it difficult going to the doctor about more ‘embarrassing’ conditions, such as requesting Viagra for erectile dysfunction, or antibiotics for sexually transmitted infections, which is why 1,000s of new patients are coming to Medical Specialists® each and every month.

Please note that for every prescription medication mentioned which are provided by Medical Specialists®, all patients must first undergo an online consultation with one of the GMC-registered doctors at Medical Specialists®, or send in a private prescription by post, obtained by the patient’s own doctor.

On top of this, Medical Specialists® already have an ‘Ask Our Doctor / Pharmacist’ facility on the Medical Specialists® website, negating the need to physically attend a pharmacy – some people might struggle to get to a pharmacy during the week due to work commitments.

Patients can simply fill in their details – including email address – and whatever the enquiry may be. It doesn’t matter how trivial it is, whether it is a question regarding the safety and efficacy of taking 2 different medications together, possible side effects of a new treatment, or if you would like Medical Specialists® to begin to stock a particular product or type of medication…simply fill in the query and one of the Medical Specialists® doctors or pharmacists will use their experience and knowledge to provide a detailed, helpful response by email.

In addition, every year the NHS spends around £12 billion on medicines, but between 30 and 50 per cent of patients aren’t taking them as prescribed. Don’t forget, all pharmacists are trained in medicine, so they can suggest an alternative if a patient is having problems with a drug, or offer advice to that patient, especially if he or she is taking multiple medications.

NHS Choices offer comprehensive advice on when it is appropriate to speak to a pharmacist, or when it would be better to see a GP or even go straight to accident and emergency at hospital.
Their website states:

Your pharmacist may be able to help with:

•     Skin conditions, such as mild acne and mild eczema.
•     Coughs and colds, including nasal congestion and sore throat.
•     Minor cuts and bruises.
•     Constipation and haemorrhoids (piles).
•     Hay fever and allergies.
•     Aches and pains, such as headaches, earache and back pain.
•     Indigestion, diarrhoea and threadworms.
•     Period pain and thrush.
•     Warts and verrucas, mouth ulcers and cold sores.
•     Athlete’s foot.
•     Nappy rash and teething.

Some pharmacies also provide truss fittings, stoma products and incontinence supplies.
Go to your GP or a walk-in centre for:

•     Wound and dressing care.
•     Muscle and joint injuries, including strains and sprains.
•     Minor lacerations and cuts.
•     Infected wounds.

Go to accident and emergency (A&E) for:

•     Head injuries or loss of consciousness.
•     Suturing (stitches).
•     Foreign bodies.
•     Suspected broken bones or heavy blood loss.
•     Persistent chest pain or difficulty breathing.
•     Overdose or poisoning.

If an injury or illness is not serious, patients can seek help from a minor injuries unit (MIU), rather than going to an A&E department, plus there is also the NHS Choices online symptom checker, NHS 111 or an NHS walk-in or urgent care centres.

Activities planned during Ask Your Pharmacist Week include health checks in shopping centres across the UK, community talks, pharmacy window displays and pharmacy visits by local dignitaries.