Are all erectile dysfunction medications the same and have the same side effects? My husband says they are and that all of them will give you headaches, stomach upset, and blurred vision. I think they are like any other medications — you might have to try a few before you find the right one for you. What do you think?
A gene that affects how sensitive someone is to the drug warfarin can help determine the best starting dose, researchers say. Warfarin (Coumadin) is a blood thinner. It is used to prevent dangerous clots. But different people need very different doses. Researchers looked at two genes in 297 people who were starting to take warfarin. The VKORC1 gene affects sensitivity to the drug. CYP2C9 governs how fast the body removes the drug. Warfarin thinned the blood faster in people with a different version of VKORC1. CYP2C9 did not affect this early response. HealthDay News reported on the study March 5. It was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Increased heart risk among women who took hormones in a study faded in the three years after they quit, researchers say. The study of hormone use after menopause was halted in 2002. Women assigned to take hormones were told to quit because they showed a higher risk of heart disease and breast cancer than women who took fake pills. In the next two to three years, heart risk returned to normal, the new study found. But overall cancer risk was 24% higher than for women who took fake pills. The Associated Press wrote about the study March 5. It appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
U.S. adults are getting too little sleep, and it’s affecting their work, a survey has found. The average reported was 6 hours and 40 minutes a night. That’s about 40 minutes less than people need. The survey was conducted among a random sample of 1,000 U.S. adults. About 1 in 3 people said they had been sleepy or fallen asleep at work in the last month. The survey also found that sometimes work is keeping people up. They said they were working more hours, including more than four hours a week at home. The survey came from the National Sleep Foundation. The Association Press reported on it March 3.
I have been taking 1000 mg of glucosamine daily for at least a couple of years. It has done wonders for my cartilage trouble and now I do not get water on the knee. Do I have to stop taking it?
Talking about sex with your kids shouldn’t just be a one-time thing, new research suggests. The study included 312 teens and their parents. They privately filled out questionnaires about their sex-related talks with each other. Kids who had more talks about sex with their parents felt closer to them. Some families covered more topics in their talks than others. Teens in these families felt more comfortable talking about sex with their parents. HealthDay News reported on the study March 3. It was published in the journal Pediatrics.
I have been diagnosed with tear duct obstruction and have been told I need a procedure called dacryocystorhinostomy. Is there any other way to treat this condition rather than having this surgery?
I have a granddaughter who is constipated. Can you tell me what a safe laxative is for a 6-year-old?
Can you give me any information on Weill-Marchesani Syndrome?
My 5-year-old boy is constantly biting his nails or putting his fingers in his mouth. Is there anything I can do to stop this? I know there are products you can apply to the fingers that make them taste bad; do you have any specific recommendations?