Wanting to buy Viagra? Better ask the wife first…

Imagine the prospect of having to gain the wife’s approval before being able to buy Viagra for erectile dysfunction.

Well, that is the scenario possibly facing men in the U.S. state of Kentucky, who may soon need to get a note of approval from their wives before being able to obtain male impotence treatments on prescription.

Outraged by the introduction of a new law forcing women to undergo medical counselling at least 24 hours prior to an abortion, Democrat Kentucky lawmaker Mary Lou Marzian wanted to “strike a nerve” with political opponents – specifically men.

Therefore, State Rep. Ms Marzian, introduced a bill that would result in any male looking to obtain a prescription for any of the erectile dysfunction medications – i.e. Viagra, Cialis and Levitra – to “have two office visits on two different calendar days” as well as get a note from their wives before receiving their impotence treatment.

Only last week Kentucky governor Matt Bevin gave his signature to a bill that forces women to consult with a doctor at least 24 hours before going through with an abortion – a law that Ms Marzian voted against.

Explaining her reasoning behind in introduction of the latest bill, she said: “I want to protect these men from themselves. This is about family values.”

She added that any man needing impotence treatments would be required to “make a sworn statement with his hand on a Bible that he will only use a prescription for a drug for erectile dysfunction when having sexual relations with his current spouse.

“I started thinking: ‘how would this body men feel if the government was injecting itself into their private medical decision?’”

Ms Marzian, a 61-year-old retired nurse and abortion rights supporter, says that the U.S. government should not be allowed to meddle with people’s medical decisions.

She said: “We are very ‘family values’ in the Kentucky General Assembly – they are all awash in Christian family values, so that’s why I put that part in there that erectile pills can only be used in a marital relationship.”

However, Ms Marzian did concede that the ‘symbolic’ new bill may not get too much backing behind it. Moreover, further controversial plans have been put forth.

One such idea would be a bill that forces people purchasing firearms to receive counselling from victims of gun violence 24 hours before their purchase.

“I’m just making sure the government is taking care of your safety,” she added.

Speaking to Reuters by telephone, she said: “My point is to illustrate how intrusive and ridiculous it is for elected officials to be inserting themselves into private and personal medical decisions.”

Are walnuts the key to weight loss and improving cholesterol?

Forget salad, there could be another food that is great for shedding those excess pounds, and it might just help to protect your heart in the long run!

The key to losing weight could surprisingly be walnuts, according to the findings of a new study, whereby scientists found that a diet rich in both olive oil and walnuts – one of the most popular and versatile of all the nuts – could help boost weight loss as well as increasing the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol levels in overweight people.

The weight loss results were comparable to that of being on a lower fat, higher carbohydrate diet and with regards to the findings, the study has recommended people eating even just a handful of them each day.

Researchers involved with the study say it is even more beneficial to eat walnuts which are high in polyunsaturated fats, as they will provide extra boost to heart health as well as lower cholesterol.
Study author Dr Cheryl Rock, of the San Diego School of Medicine at the University of California, said she was surprised by the results demonstrated in the study.

“One of the surprising findings of this study was even though walnuts are higher in fat and calories, the walnut-rich diet was associated with the same degree of weight loss as a lower fat diet.

“Considering the results of this study, as well as previous walnut research on heart health and weight, there’s something to be said for eating a handful of walnuts a day.”

To come to their conclusion, the team of researchers analysed 245 overweight or obese women aged between 22 and 72, all of whom were part of a one-year weight loss programme.

The women were randomly assigned to one of three different diets. The first was a lower fat and higher carbohydrate diet, the second was a lower carbohydrate and higher fat diet, whilst the third was a walnut-rich, higher fat and lower carbohydrate diet.

Those assigned to the walnut-rich diet would consume around 43g (1.5 ounces) of the nuts a day – which works out at around one and a half handfuls.

After a six month follow-up, it was discovered that women across all of the groups had lost an average of nearly 8% of their initial weight.

Women given the walnut-rich diet were found to have similar amounts of weight to the two other groups, however also had the added benefit of noticeable improvements in their cholesterol levels compared to the women in the other groups.

Specifically, there was a significant decrease noted in the LDL cholesterol (the ‘bad’ cholesterol) and an increase in HDL cholesterol (the ‘good’ cholesterol). This was not evident within the other diet groups.

This happened to be particularly noticeable in the women who were insulin-resistant – a precursor of diabetes.

The researchers believe this was the case as the low-carb high-fat diet group were urged to eat more foods rich in monounsaturated fats, found in a variety of foods and oils.

Foods high in monounsaturated fatty acids are believed to improve blood cholesterol levels, thereby lowering the risk of heart disease.

The walnut-rich diet was found to offer a large amount of polyunsaturated fats though, and in fact walnuts are the only nut where the fat is mainly polyunsaturated, which comprises of a high quantity of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

ALA is a plant-derived form of omega-3 fatty acid, an important part of a healthy working body. Omega 3 must be obtained from a person’s diet due to the body being unable to generate it itself. This ultimately means many have insufficient levels of the fatty acid.

Dr Rock admitted as the study only included women, the results may not be the same for men, and did not measure whether the women actually fully stuck to the diets assigned to them, although the women probably adhered to them considering the weight loss experienced.

“In addition to these findings, we hope to explore the effect of walnuts on satiety, as we believe satiety is a critical factor for maintaining weight loss,” Dr Rock concluded.

Teens who use E-Cigs more likely to start smoking, says study

Teenagers are more likely to begin smoking after trying e-cigarettes, according to new research published in the journal Tobacco Control.
 
The research shows that school pupils who had previously used an e-cigarette device were then approximately 3 times more likely to start smoking cigarettes around year later, compared with those who had never used e-cigarettes.

The use of e-cigarettes in teens is rising; increasing from 5% in 2013 to 8% in 2014. Some studies have concluded that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than smoking widespread concerns that they are simply acting as a ‘gateway’ to smoking regular tobacco-based cigarettes. This is in spite of the fact it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s in the UK.

A team of experts based at the University of Hawaii monitored 2,338 high school students, a year apart, quizzing them regarding their experiences of either smoking tobacco or ‘vaping’ with electronic devices; if they used them, and if so, how frequently.

Just under a third (31%) of the students had admitted to using e-cigarettes when they were first surveyed in 2013 at the age of 14 or 15, the study found.

After the researchers had questioned the children a year later, this percentage had risen to 38. Overall, 15% of the students had smoked at least 1 cigarette in 2013, increasing to 21% by the following year.

However, it was discovered that whoever had used e-cigarettes in 2013 were actually thrice as likely to times more likely to have smoked tobacco the following year. This finding was still true, even after researchers accounted for factors such as students’ home environment and parental education, according to the authors.

The researchers also found that those that had reported to having the larger frequency of vaping in the first year were likely to regularly smoke later on, which could mean that many students who tried smoking in the study were just experimenting.

The authors of the study wrote: “We followed a sample of high school students over a one-year interval and found that among initial non-smokers, those who used e-cigarettes were more likely to initiate cigarette smoking.

“This suggests that e-cigarette use in adolescence has behavioural costs.

“These findings should be considered for policy discussions about the availability of e-cigarettes to adolescents.”

Those involved in creating the analysis state the study is merely statistical, and no definitive reasons can be pinpointed as to why some of the children had begun to smoke.

The study had also not taken into account other factors, such as parents’ smoking habits or attitudes to smoking.

E-cigarettes are used by around 1.3 million people in the UK, intended to resemble a traditional cigarette. Liquid nicotine is converted into a mist, or vapour, that the user inhales – simulating the process of smoking. As the devices emit a smoke-like water vapour, this has led to the term ‘vaping’ being commonly referred to for their use.

Smoking rates have dropped, but there are huge concerns that the e-cigarettes could be helping to encourage youngsters to begin smoking who previously never had, critics arguing they are a gateway to nicotine addiction and there needs to be further research into the impact on our health.

Swine flu is back in the UK

The potentially deadly swine flu is back in the UK, following reports that 2 people have been hospitalised after contracting the virus, confirmed yesterday by health officials.

Both patients have been diagnosed has having the H1N1 strain of influenza, and are now being closely monitored at Wishaw General Hospital in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.

The virus was first identified in Mexico back in April 2009, and was first named ‘Mexican flu’. Mexico had 100s of non-lethal cases of the virus prior to the outbreak being officially discovered, with the country in the midst of a “silent epidemic”.

However, it later became labelled as swine flu due to the fact that the virus strikingly bore similarities to already known influenza viruses that cause illness in pigs.

The virus subsequently spread between countries, causing pandemonium as it was a new type of flu virus that barely anyone was immune to. According to the World Health Organization, there were 18,500 lab-confirmed deaths from swine flu in 2009 alone, and anywhere between 10-200 million people infected. Of the total deaths, 350 people died in the UK during the initial pandemic.

The flu jab covers the virus – which is free of charge on the NHS to people 65 years of age or over, pregnant women, those with certain medical conditions, people living in a long-stay residential care home or other long-stay care facility, anyone receiving a carer’s allowance, or the main carer for an elderly or disabled person who could be at further risk if the carer was to become ill and Healthcare workers with direct patient contact or a social care worker.

Children over the age of six months with a long-term health condition and those aged two, three and four plus children in school years one and two are also recommended as having the flu jab.

Health experts have commented that the apparent emergence of the virus was ‘not unusual’ because it never truly went away in the first place.

Leading flu expert, virologist Professor John Oxford, spoke to the MailOnline yesterday and said that the virus has been ‘moving around the community this year.”

“Every year there is three to four influenza viruses but there’s nothing unusual,” he said.
“I’m sure there would have been cases last year in the UK and around Europe. I’m a bit surprised that they have announced it.

“If you have had the flu jab then you wouldn’t expect to get it or the other types of flu.”

Professor Oxford said he predicts more cases of swine flu to emerge in the coming weeks as we enter the peak of the flu season, adding that the virus could be treated with Tamiflu (oseltamivir), and stressed how the most at-risk groups were children and people with underlying health conditions, if they have not been immunised.

The two cases in Scotland only came to prominence after someone had commented about being diagnosed with the virus on social media.

Dr Femi Oshin, consultant in public health medicine at NHS Lanarkshire, said: “Although there are low levels of influenza overall this winter, H1N1, also known as swine flu, is reported to be the main flu virus circulating in the community.

“It is, therefore, to be expected that we will see some cases of H1N1 in Lanarkshire at this time.
“The seasonal influenza vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against flu, including H1N1.
“The annual flu vaccine is available free to pregnant women as well as other eligible groups including people over 65, those who have certain health conditions, healthy children aged two, three and four plus children in school years one and two, and people who work in healthcare.”

Shocking figures show children as young as 13 are being treated for STIs

Our nation’s schoolchildren may need much better and effective sex education, following the findings of a new study that show 1,000s of children as young as 13 are contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

According to the Daily Star Sunday a new Public Health England study has shown that in particularly, new cases of teenage chlamydia are on the rise, with 178,845 cases in youngsters under the age of 19 and 2,938 discovered in teenagers aged 13 or 14, in the last 5 years alone.

The alarming figures also show how over 2 teenagers under the legal age of consent (16-years-old) are getting STIs such as genital herpes each day.

Moreover, an estimated 18,085 people under the age of 18 have contracted gonorrhoea during the previous 5 years, in addition to 20,842 cases of herpes, whilst syphilis, which can be fatal, was contracted 442 times.

The statistics are almost certain to concern parents and doctors, and force the government to put extra effort into boosting the country’s sex education classes.

Dr Michael Brady, medical director at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “We still have much to do to address the nation’s poor sexual health and the rates of STIs in those most at risk.

“Young people are disproportionately affected by STIs. One of the reasons for this is that we still don’t provide every young person with comprehensive and appropriate Sex and Relationships Education (SRE).

“A reduction in STIs must be a public health priority and as a fundamental part of this, the Government needs to ensure every young person has access to effective SRE that gives them the knowledge and skills to enjoy healthy and safe sex lives.”

Jules Hillier, head of the sexual health charity Brook, commented: “Too many young people aren’t getting the information they need about sex and relationships from their schools, while sexual health clinics are under threat due to cuts.

“We need to invest in education and services for young people to help them stay safe and healthy.”
It isn’t just the younger generation where STIs are on the rise though…Cases of STIs are going up across all age groups. From 2010 to 2014, the number of people being diagnosed with gonorrhoea has more than doubled, leaping from 16,843 to 34,958.

Meanwhile, syphilis cases have shot up from 2,647 in 2010 to 4,317in 2014 and herpes has increased from 29,698 to 31,777 in the same time period.

Surprisingly perhaps, chlamydia cases have dropped from 207,797 in 2012 to 206,774 by 2014.
Public Health England say that over the past 10 years the number of cases of STIs such as gonorrhoea, syphilis, genital warts and genital herpes have gone up – notably amongst males.
In England, young heterosexual people aged 16 to 24 account for:

• 63% of chlamydia cases.
• 55% of gonorrhoea cases.
• 52% of genital warts cases.
• 42% of herpes cases.

‘At risk’ healthy gay men should be given daily pill to prevent HIV, says study

If healthy gay men were given antiretroviral human immunodeficiency virus  (HIV) medication, infection rates could drop by as much as 59%, with 10,000 less new cases of HIV by 2020, according to the calculations of a new study.

The study, published in The Lancet HIV, has called for the preventative method, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), to be offered on the NHS, which could have the possibility of reversing the epidemic.

The expensive PrEP two-drug pill known as Truvada is already being used with major success overseas, such as in the US and France, although there are worries the drug may result in more people not having protected sex with condoms.

Antiretroviral drugs cannot cure the HIV disease, but can keep the virus in check and stop it spreading around the body.

According to estimates in 2014, around 103,700 people are living with HIV in the UK, with 18,100 (17%) of people being undiagnosed and unaware they have the disease. Of the 103,700, approximately 43% were men who have sex with men, which was equivalent to 4.9% of gay men in this category aged between 15 and 44.

Therefore, health experts in England are considering the prospect of offering the £5,000-a-year pill to at-risk men. The £50million scheme could be available in clinics around the country this year, The Times has reported.

Last year, a UK test on 500 men assessed the effectiveness PrEP as a measure of preventative HIV transmission. The indications were that 1 case of HIV could be prevented for every 13 men given anti-HIV drugs during the course of a year.

This led to scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine mathematically modelling the impact of introducing such a treatment nationwide across the UK. They calculated that there would be around 16,955 new cases of HIV in gay men by 2020.

However, by giving PrEP to the most sexually active 25% of gay men, this would help to prevent 7,399 infections (44%).

“Current prevention efforts in the UK that focus on correct and consistent condom use and regular HIV testing have been falling short,” Dr Narat Punyacharoensin, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and the study’s lead author, said.

“Our results show that pre-exposure prophylaxis offers a major opportunity to curb new infections and could help reverse the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men in the UK.”

As highlighted earlier, a major concern many people have with PrEP is whether men who are taking antiretroviral medication as a prophylaxis would then be more likely to take risks, such as having unprotected sex. However, the study suggests that there would still be benefits from a pre-exposure prophylaxis programme, if this was the case.

Professor Noel Gill, head of Public Health England’s HIV and STI department, who co-authored the report, says in a statement: “The findings imply that a pre-exposure prophylaxis programme could be an important addition to current efforts to prevent HIV transmission in England. Public Health England has provided much evidence to NHS England to help inform their decision analysis process. This evidence includes studies on the cost-effectiveness, the budgetary impact, and public health impact of a possible publically funded HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis policy.”

Dr Punyacharoensin added that there would need to be a 75% rise in unprotected sex in order to make the method counterproductive.

Blueberries and red wine can boost sex life

Blueberries may only be a tiny fruit, but having a handful of this sweet and nutritious ‘superfood’ each day has long been known to potentially have huge benefits for the body, working to neutralise free radicals linked to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other age-related conditions.

Blueberries are actually believed to be comprised of the largest antioxidant capacity of all commonly consumed fruits and vegetables, and if new research is anything to go off, washing them down with a glass of red wine could be nearly as effective for treating erectile dysfunction as the little blue pill Viagra!

The new study by researchers at the University of East Anglia and Harvard University claims that snacking on fruit can improve sexual function as much taking brisk walks for 5 hours per week, in particularly due to the natural compounds called flavonoids and anthycyanins. Combining both walking and a flavonoid rich diet is even better, reducing erectile dysfunction by 21%.

The compounds can be found in blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries cherries, radishes and citrus fruits contain chemicals called flavanones and flavones, which have a similar benefit. According the the findings of the study, the flavonoids contained in these fruits can help to ease male impotence by as much as 14%.

Lead researcher Professor Aedin Cassidy, from the University of East Anglia, said: “We already knew that intake of certain foods high in flavonoids may reduce the risk of conditions including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“This is the first study to look at the association between flavonoids and erectile dysfunction, which affects up to half of all middle-aged and older men.

“Flavonoids are present in many plant-based foods and drinks including fruits, vegetables, tea, herbs and wine.”

The findings were published on Wednesday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and involved monitoring the health of over 50,000 middle-aged men from 1986 onwards. Data on their dietary intake was taken after every 4 year period.

Factors were taken into account, such as weight, the amount of exercise participants engaged in, how much caffeine each person consumed, and if they were smokers. Only men who were otherwise in generally good health were actually tracked for the study.

Over a third of the men stated they had suffered erectile dysfunction, but it was discovered that people with a diet rich in anthocyanins, flavones and flavanones were less at risk of experiencing impotence.

Professor Cassidy said: “The top sources of anthocyanins, flavones and flavanones consumed in the U.S. are strawberries, blueberries, red wine, apples, pears, and citrus products. We also found that the benefits were strongest among younger men.”

Dr Eric Rimm, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, added: “As well as improving sexual health for middle-aged men, there is another important benefit linked to heart health.

“Erectile dysfunction is often an early barometer of poor vascular function and offers a critical opportunity to intervene and prevent cardiovascular disease, heart attack and even death.

“Men with erectile dysfunction are likely to be highly motivated to make healthier lifestyle choices, such as exercising more and eating the right foods – which would greatly benefit their long-term cardiovascular health as well.”

Overall, Citrus fruits, blueberries and red wine are all believed to have significant benefit to men under the age of 70.