Erectile dysfunction drug ‘improves heart function in kids’

November 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Sildenafil, a drug for treating impotence, also perks up cardiac function in kids and young adults with single-ventricle congenital heart disease post Fontan surgery that redirects deoxygenated blood directly to the pulmonary arteries, bypassing the heart. Single-ventricle defects are a collection of cardiac malformations that impair the heart's ability to pump blood.

November 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Flibanserin, originally an anti-depressant, has shown promise in treating low libido among women, according to results from three separate clinical trials. These trials were the first ever to test a therapy that works at the level of the brain to enhance libido in women reporting low sexual desire, said John M.

November 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Fat deposited around the heart and within the liver is likely to impair certain heart functions. The study by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) has found that measuring a person's body mass index (BMI or weight to height ratio) does not reliably predict the amount of undesired fat in and around these vital organs.

November 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Poor kidney function may increase an individual's risk for suffering heart failure, heart attack, peripheral arterial disease and early death, reveals a new study. Researchers revealed that to evaluate heart health, clinicians should look at their patients' current level of kidney function and also changes in kidney function over time.

October 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Pre-dialysis transplant patients with high level of kidney function are unlikely to benefit from the transplantation as compared to those with low-level kidney function, say researchers. Kidney disease patients with pre-dialysis transplants ("preemptive" transplantation) tend to live longer and have higher functioning transplants than post-dialysis transplant recipients.

October 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers have found that use of omega-3 fatty acid supplement along with antidepressant therapy doesn't improve depression in heart patients. The new study counters previous findings that augmentation with omega-3 fatty acids improves the efficacy of antidepressants in depressed psychiatric patients.

October 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists prevented age-related changes in the hearts of mice and preserved cardiac function by suppressing a form of the PI3K gene, according to a new study. The findings may have major implications for potential human cardiac patients.

October 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Suppressing a form of PI3K gene successfully prevented heart from aging and preserved its function in mice, a new study has found. The findings of the study could help physicians to one day prevent age-related heart failure in humans.

October 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Hormone replacement therapy might be beneficial for postmenopausal women at increased heart risk, say researchers. "Although it is commonly understood that postmenopausal women, particularly those with early menopause, have an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease and it was thought that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) would help to remedy this, some well-known clinical investigations, such as the Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS), were unable to demonstrate an improved outcome in postmenopausal women using HRT," said Dr.

September 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - An innovative drug-delivery system, nanoparticles encapsulating nitric oxide or prescription drugs, has shown promise for topical treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), say New York scientists. According to scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, the new system, which was tested successfully on a small number of animals, could potentially prevent side effects associated with oral ED medications, if study results can be replicated in humans.

September 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - An innovative drug delivery system comprising nanoparticles quickens response in erectile dysfunction (ED), says a new study. "The response time...was...

September 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scripps Research Institute scientists have offered new hope for parents whose children suffer from the rare genetic disorder 'cystinosis' by showing through an experiment on mice that stem cell transplantation can successfully correct the defect. "After meeting the children who suffer from this disease, like an 18-year-old who has already had three kidney transplants, and the families who are desperately searching for help, our team is committed to moving toward a cure for cystinosis, a lysosomal storage disorder.

September 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Loss of libido and impaired sex is common among those undergoing antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C, according to a new study. This is the first time a study evaluating the combination therapy, peginterferon and ribavirin, has identified sexual dysfunction (inability to fully enjoy sexual intercourse) as a side effect.

September 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has revealed that sexual impairment is common among men with chronic hepatitis C undergoing antiviral therapy. This is the first time a study evaluating the combination therapy, peginterferon and ribavirin, has identified sexual dysfunction as a side effect.

August 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Weight loss achieved through regular exercise and a heart-healthy diet can help improve cardiac risk factors, suggests a cardiologist. Dr Philip Ades said that mild caloric restriction improves insulin resistance and improves a host of other cardiac risk factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol level, clotting measures and measures of inflammation.