Tag Archives: United States

September 24, 2014

The Effect of Testosterone Level On Risk Of Prostate Cancer


TestosteroneIntroduction In this article, we shall examine the effect of testosterone level on the risk of prostate cancer. This has remained a subject of great controversy because of the divergent views that have been fronted. Basically the argument has been that using testosterone therapy on men who have been treated of prostate cancer in the past exposes them to the risk of developing the cancer afresh. The reason given for this has been that the therapy could reawaken sleeping cancer cells in the body of the patient, thus triggering a new and aggressive attack. On the other end of the spectrum has been the argument that testosterone therapy is not necessarily associated with cancer recurrence. And there have been studies to support this. We shall look at both sets of arguments in detail.

Testosterone therapy

This is a common form of therapy that is widely used to treat a number of complications in aging men. With the process of aging comes a sustained decline in the amount of testosterone in the body of men. A decline in the amount of testosterone in the body is associated with a number of problems. For instance, men at advanced ages usually experience decreased libido. This effect can be attributed to a complex interplay of hormones within the body which is triggered by a reduction in the amount of testosterone. In the same manner, symptoms such as general fatigue and even other forms of sexual dysfunction (apart from the low libido mentioned) have been treated by use of testosterone therapy. Prostate cancer Prostate cancer is a common form of disease in men of advanced age. Although studies have indicated that the disease is able to affect men of even lower ages, it has been common for the disease to be associated with advanced age. The complex interaction between different factors in the body of men at advanced ages has been studies and the results have indicated that the risk of development of prostate cancer in men increases rapidly as they advance in age. So, with a decrease in the amount of testosterone, which automatically occurs with an increase in age, comes a rise in the risk for developing prostate cancer. Although this is true, it is worthwhile to mention that currently, studies are being conducted to determine whether the relationship is as a result of decline in testosterone levels in the prostate alone or the body as a whole.

Testosterone and treatment of prostate cancer

For men who develop prostate cancer, the standard treatment procedure has been a radical reduction of the hormones in the body. This procedure has been used in many cases in which prostate cancer has developed and metastasized fully. However, studies have indicated that in some cases, prostate cancer is able to withstand such a treatment and recur in the future, if triggered by existence of the right conditions. The manner in which this occurs has been attributed to the ability of prostate cells to produce testosterone at a much higher level than before the hormone-reducing therapy was administered. What this means is that even if the amount of testosterone in the body of a patient is dramatically reduced by the procedure, the amount in the prostate remains the same, thus compensating for the loss. Therefore, when the right conditions are created, the cells that produce excess testosterone may develop into cancer cells.

Testosterone therapy and prostate cancer

Standard procedure for tackling prostate cancer in men has been through surgery, chemotherapy and even immunotherapy. However, history and studies have indicated that when men who have been successfully treated of prostate cancer are exposed to testosterone therapy later in their lives, the possibility of the prostate cancer reoccurring is highly increased. If this is so, then testosterone therapy becomes dangerous for men who have been successfully treated of prostate cancer before. However, there have been arguments to the contrary. Since a lot of studies have been conducted on this matter, we summarize the most important points here as follows. First, although some studies have indicated that giving the therapy to men who have been successfully treated of prostate cancer exposes them to the risk of developing the disease afresh, the degree of risk remains minimal, at the best. Since the association has not been firmly established, the balance of probability has been that whether or not to administer the treatment to such patients depends on the judgment of the specialist. It is safe to say that the outcome of using testosterone therapy in men who have undergone successful treatment of prostate cancer cannot be predicted with certainty. Second, there has been evidence to suggest that men with low levels of testosterone are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer compared to those having normal testosterone levels. Therefore, if such men seek testosterone therapy in the future the risk of developing the cancer remains. This is so because testosterone therapy is not used as a prostate cancer treatment method.

TestosteroneConcluding remarks

AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center has been established as a leading center for cancer treatment. We offer our clients a wide range of services in relation to cancer diagnosis, treatment and general management. Feel free to contact Dr. Dalal Akoury, a leading specialist in alternative and complementary treatment of cancer, for an appointment.

 

 

The Effect of Testosterone Level on Risk Of Prostate Cancer

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Promoting Medical Tourism Through The Media

September 22, 2014

The Role Of Media In Promoting Medical Tourism

It used to be that healthcare was delivered in a standardised way in both private and public healthcare. The only difference was in the quality and venues. These days, new forms of media have revolutionised healthcare. The internet, television, direct contact through email, live chat and social media have made healthcare a most confusing field to be in at times! There are now multiple sources of information: some conflicting, some corroborating and it can result in decreasing healthcare standards and the trust we place on professionals. When it comes to medical tourism however, one thing is clear – new media is offering new platforms and giving clients an even bigger say on their healthcare treatment.

medical tourism

Medical tourism is a way of getting high quality medical care away from home. Going to a centre overseas, one might be able to get high quality healthcare for a fraction of the cost one can get in the United States .The advance of Obamacare and universal public healthcare has increased the waiting periods for many intensive treatments. This is particularly the case for diseases and conditions that are expensive to treat and manage like heart surgeries and transplants. Medial tourism might be the answer for people suffering from rare diseases and conditions who would like specialised care. Alternatively, one might go abroad for medical treatment to gain access to cutting edge technology, techniques and innovation. Individuals seeking a way from conventional treatment for long-term illnesses or simply want to make the best of a terminal illness might want to visit an exotic location to live out their last days. Whatever the reason for wanting to go abroad, successfully marketing to the target audience lies in letting them know the benefits of medical tourism. Different strokes for different folk.

  • Television

Medical tourism destinations market themselves through television too. A simple 30 second advert is enough to create curiosity about a medical centre and what they offer. It can be made especially effective when placed close to relevant entertainment and news shows. Showing the benefits of travelling to Myrtle Beach for a holistic treatment to cancer after showing an informative documentary on cancer and increase the odds of the message sticking due its relevance and the audience it is broadcast to. Television has the unique advantage of showing moving media without necessarily choosing a viewing format like the internet does. It just screens to its audience across the airwaves to people from all strata of life. The medium targets the masses and one cannot change the message to its audience which is fantastic if your marketing campaign centres on uniformity.

  • Internet

This medium has the widest scope and is the trickiest of them all. There are many ways to market on the internet. One can have promotions, create publicity on social media, and even have an own website, the opportunities are endless really. The internet is best used to amplify other marketing campaigns. If for example one is creating a martin campaign on the affordably of medical centres in Jakarta, one might need to have a patient who has been there give a tale of their experience. The medical centre could also get a high profile pro bono case and really use existing media attention to draw attention to your facility. The trouble with the internet is that the information that gets there stays there in continuity.

  • Phone calls

Telephone calls are a really personalised way of getting awareness from your target market. Partnering with some local clinics and hospices for  example, one can get contact details of people who have been suffering from specific ailments. That way, even when cold calling clients, it is easy to target your message to their needs and know how your medical facility can be of assistance to them. Such information can also help one do a comparioisn on the costs of treatment in the home hospital vis-a-vis abroad. That marketing information can be of huge advantage especially when selling to clients who are keen on quality as all you have to do is extol the virtues of your hospital.

Medical tourism

  • Social media

This is the latest in the media platforms. It is more personalised yet reaches more of the targeted audience. Working with an online media specialist, foreign medical agencies may use it to really sell the personal experience. With consent from the patient, medical facilities can profile the positive experience including swift treatment and short recovery times to the general public. This will make the whole idea more believable and realistic. More points are earned if you distribute as many stories from as different parts of the world as possible. It makes it seem that almost anyone can go for treatment at the centre unless of course the aim is to target luxury clients who prefer exclusivity.

All in all, there is a variety of platforms to be used in the marketing of medical tourism. Tailoring it to the personalised and very private nature of medical treatment is the catch. All the media can be used for different purposes and reasons all geared towards capturing a share in the lucrative $40 billion market.

The Role Of Media In Promoting Medical Tourism

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Effects of Alcohol on Human Body Systems

September 20, 2014

Effects of Alcohol on Human Body

Alcohol is a commonly used depressant drug. When ingested, it affects the entire body system in various ways. We shall examine how the reproductive and cardiovascular systems are affected amongst others.

Cardiovascular System and Alcohol

  • Increased HDL

The presence of alcohol in the bloodstream results in higher levels of high density lipo-proteins. These valuable molecules are responsible for moping up fats and low density lipo-proteins from the bloodstream. Critical function is aided as alcohol actually increases the transport rates of apolipoproteins A-1 and A-11. This results in more efficiency in the manufacture of HDL and results in its abundance.

  • Dilated cardiomyopathy

Abusing alcohol over a long time can weaken the heart muscle. Cardiac muscle activity is inhibited by alcohol. Continued abuse causes free radical damage and prevents protein synthesis. The effect of this behaviour is a weakening the heart walls and thereby causing dilated cardiomyopathy. Symptoms include waking up to urinate at night, having heart palpitations and feeling uncharacteristically weak among others.  It is very dangerous and can lead to complete heart failure and affect other major organs.

Effects of Alcohol

Overconsumption of alcohol can put the body under stress. The body goes into fight or flight mode, releasing hormone cortisol. This causes non-critical body functions to slow or shut-down. It also causes arteries to constrict and increasing the pressure within the blood vessels.

  • Arrhythmia

As mentioned before, ethanol weakens the heart muscle. This can result in the heart beating too fast or with an irregular beat. Neither is good. If left to continue, they weaken the heart and increase the possibility of chronic cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.

Reproductive System

  • Erectile Dysfunction

An erection starts with receiving and reacting to sexual stimuli. Alcohol interferes with many of the processes necessary to creating and sustaining an erection. A psychoactive drug, it may interfere with a person’s perception of what is desirable. It also interferes and slows with the nervous communication with the gametes. Constricted arteries and blood vessels prevent the rush of blood required to create and sustain an erection.

  • Hypogonadism

Alcohol is toxic to the gonads. It damages the endocrine system. Endocrine organs become less effeicient the longer alcohol is consumed and with excessive abuse, these organs shrink and atrophy.  In men the testes become less active.  Production of the main male sex hormone, testerstorone is impaired while in women, similar effects are experienced with oestrogen and the ovary.  This depressant drug also impairs the other sex organs that regulate sex hormone production. Hormone balance is disrupted in both men and women making it hard to maintain fertility.

  • Amennorehea/Infertility

Chonic and sustained alcohol use is related to infertility. The body, unable to maintain the delicate mix of hormonal balance, becomes unable to produce gametes. Ovarian function in a depressed state cannot maintain a regular monthly menstrual cycle where eggs mature and are released for fertilisation. Testes on the other hand do not produce the numbers and quality of sperm required for successful impregnation. Apermatozoa damaged by alcoholic overuse tend to be mis-shapen, have low motility or simply not many enough. All of the above are classic signs of male and female infertility that can be  by alcoholism.

  • Spontaneous Abortion

Alcoholic pregnant women may go through a spontaneous abortion. A body under alcohol-induced stress is unlikely to successfully bear a pregnancy to term. Most of the symptoms do indeed get worse – high blood pressure, impaired endocrine function etc. may all work to create an uninhabitable environment in a woman’s body. The growing and unmet, nutritional and organ support needs result in a spontaneous abortion.

Other Effects

Over prolonged abuse of the alcohol has been known to reduce the blood supply to skeletal tissue. As living bones are malnourished and unable to replenish the old worn out edges, they die and become brittle. Of course this effect can compounded by the loss of bone density as one grows significantly. The result is weak, fragile bones that are prone to breakage. The thigh bone is particularly prone to such damage often resulting in a condition known as avascular necrosis of femoral head.

  • Alcoholic myopathy

Muscle fibres of all kinds have their functions impaired by alcohol presence in the bloodstream. Fast twitching fibres are the first to be affected. Users may report a feeling of weakness and tiredness perfroming simple tasks. Over long periods, the slow – twitch fibres get affected and result in a general feeling of fatigue. The muscles perform at a fraction of their normal capacity for strength, flexibility etc.

Liver-Diseases

  • Fetal Alcoholic Syndrome

Babies who have ingested alcohol through the uterus may be born weighing a fraction of their normal counterparts. They are also low in meeting their developmental milestones for their age group. Activities such as talking, motor functions, holding their heads upright and saying their first words are more likely to be delayed in people born with this syndrome.

  • Avascular necrosis of femoral heads

Alcohol’s effect on the cardiovascular system: arythmia, high blood pressure and raising levels of good fats create a mixed picture. Perhaps the trick in balancing the risk/reward for heart health scale lies in moderation and never exceeding the recommended daily limits. In the endocrine system however, there are fewer redeeming effects of alcohol with fertility and related functions being the most affected.

Effects of Alcohol on Human Body

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Marijuana Smoker’s Processing Emotional Information In The Amygdala

September 19, 2014

Marijuana Smokers Process Emotional Information Differently In The Amygdala

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It contains the psychoactive which results in mind-altering chemical called the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and other compounds related to it. Marijuana is the most common illicit drug used all over the world especially in the United States. Its use had declined for close to a decade and then became very common as from 2007 as the effects associated with it are becoming more diminished. Marijuana is usually smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints or smoked in blunts-cigars that have been emptied off tobacco. The smoke has a pungent smell usually sweet-and-sour, odor. It can also be mixed in foods and drinks.

When marijuana is smoked the THC is rapidly passed from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the substance to the brain. When it is ingested in foods and drinks, this process is much slower. According to the Institute of Medicine published in Mar 1999 report titled “Marijuana and Medicine: assessing the Science Base”: the THC enters the brain, it causes the user to feel euphoric (high) by acting on the brain’s reward system which consists of regions that are responsible for governing pleasurable things like sex and chocolate as well as to most drugs of abuse. THC activates this receptors of the brain by simulating brain cells to release the chemical dopamine.

Marijuana

The users describe two stages of feeling high after intake of marijuana: initial simulation (giddiness and euphoria), followed by sedation and a pleasant tranquility. Their also reported altered perceptions of time and distance as well as heightened sensitivity to sights and sounds. Relaxation is also another frequently reported effect in users of marijuana. They tend to become more relaxed and there is a feeling of bliss and contentment. Their appetite is also greatly improved. After a while, this effects subsidized and the user may feel sleepy or depressed. On rare occasions, marijuana use may produce anxiety, fear, distrust or panic. Users may get very paranoid and anxious until the euphoria reduces.

Marijuana also affects brain development, and when it is used heavily by young people, its effects on their memory and thinking capacity may last a long time or even be permanent.  According to a recent study of marijuana users, those who started using at a very young age showed greatly reduced connectivity among brain areas responsible for learning and memory. Those who started smoking heavily in their teens have lost an average of 8 points in IQ between the age 13 and 38, according to a study in New Zealand. Those who started smoking marijuana in their adulthood did not show fairly large declines in their IQ. Marijuana also impairs a person’s ability to form new memories and to shift focus. The substance THC disrupts a person’s coordination and balance by binding to the receptors in the cerebellum and basal ganglia responsible for regulating balance, posture, coordination, and reaction time.

Large intakes of marijuana makes users have acute psychosis, which is basically hallucinations, delusions, and a loss of the sense of identity. Marijuana users are very much likely to end up depressed, anxious and generally their loose the will to live and become suicidal as well as personality disturbances. One of the controversies on the same is the amotivational syndrome, defined as a diminished or absence of the drive to take part in any rewarding activity. As a result of the endocannabinoid system regulating mood, these associations make a certain amount of sense; however, this research is yet to be completed to help us better understand how marijuana use is connected to mental illness in the future. This research also shows that, individuals with one or two copies of the Val variant have a higher risk of developing schizophrenic-type disorders if they used marijuana during adolescence.

Marijuana use during pregnancy is associated with increased neurobehavioral problems in baby after birth. The baby’s endocannabinoid chemicals are mimicked by the marijuana THC and other compounds. This in result causes poor development of the endocannabinoid system in the brain of the fetus. This will in future result in poor memory, problems in attention and problem solving hence they become very slow in responding to their surrounding stimuli. THC exposure also disrupts synapses which help connect nerve cells and allow for the efficient transfer of neurotransmitters. The child is also likely to develop more psychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety, attention-deficit disorder, and schizophrenia.

Marijuana

Marijuana use for a long time causes the brain to continually make the user crave for the same as one tends to get addicted. The development of the frontal cortex is affected and as a result affect a person’s reward system leading to prolonged addiction, and ultimately affects one’s decision making. This addicts are more likely to get impaired executive function and a proclivity to choose the easier task. This may be seen in the user taking part in criminal activities and engaging in violence.

Research has shown that heavy marijuana users tend to have more problems in their daily life or it makes their existing problems worse. They report lower life satisfaction, poorer mental and physical health, more relationship problems, and they also have less academic and career success compared to non-marijuana users. They tend to drop out of school more, they are the highest number of the absentees in their places of work and also are likely to get into accidents more. They have poor coordination. Marijuana users who have become addicted should seek help in rehabilitation centers. As of late, more research is being carried out to determine more effects of marijuana in the brain. It has also been introduced in the medical field as it is given to cancer patients to increase their appetite and to reduce pain.

Marijuana smokers process emotional information differently in the amygdala

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Using Naltrexone To Treat Addiction Relapse

September 19, 2014

Using Naltrexone To Decrease Alcohol Relapse

Annually, around 1.5 million people in the USA seek treatment for alcohol and its related problems. In 1994, naltrexone became approved for the treatment of alcoholism by the U.S. FDA. Naltrexone works by blocking opioid receptors found in the brain as well as stemming the endorphin-mediated reinforcing effects of drinking alcohol. There is great  evidence to suggest and prove  that naltrexone has power to significantly reduce alcohol relapses to heavy drinking, the frequency of drinking, quantity of alcohol consumed  by  those who do drink, and also alcohol craving. Naltrexone is vitally beneficial in helping those patients who cannot abstain so as to reduce their drinking patterns, breaking the vicious self-destructive cycle of alcoholics which causes one to drink one drink which leads to the other together with allowing more quality time for psychosocial therapy to be productive. Naltrexone has demonstrated efficiency in a various alcohol-treatment settings using adjunctive psychosocial therapies that provide patients with motivation to stay in treatment, overcome relapses, and also take medications. Individualized and flexible naltrexone dosing can be of great benefit. Longer-term naltrexone therapy exceeding more than three months may be most effective, and naltrexone might be used on an as-needed, “targeted,” basis indefinitely. Alcohol is a very complex substance that affects several chemical systems in the brain.  It is presumed that, when an alcoholic drinks, the brain’s opioid system releases endorphins that trigger the reinforcement that is responsible for enticing one to drink more. Unlike other drugs that were earlier used to treat alcoholism, naltrexone is not addictive in nature and composition and does not in any way react aversively with alcohol.

Natraxene

·        Monthly naltrexone injection to control alcoholism

A monthly dose of Naltrexone, under different trade names, is already in use to treat alcoholism. The monthly dose is   a more convenient approach than current daily oral doses. Using naltrexone combined with counseling could help reduce heavy drinking in people suffering from alcoholism. Because of problems with adhering to daily oral doses of naltrexone, the effectiveness found in treating alcohol dependence with a once-a-month injection of naltrexone improves long-term treatment results. According to a previous study in 2005, naltrexone showed efficiency for treatment of alcohol dependence. However, adherence to daily oral doses can be hectic, and therefore, utilization of oral naltrexone have been limited.

·         Naltrexone should be used with caution in patients with liver disease

For a person suffering from hepatitis or liver failure, naltrexone should not be prescribed.it is recommended that liver function tests such as ALT, AST, gamma glutamyltransferase and bilirubin must be conducted before naltrexone treatment begins and at intervals after the treatment begins. In healthy patients without liver disease, intervals of 1, 3, and 6 month scan be ideal for the tests, then yearly thereafter. Liver function tests should be performed more frequently especially if baseline liver function test results are high, a history of hepatic disease is confirmed, or if a potential hepatotoxic medication is prescribed and if the patient is taking doses higher than 50 mg/day. Naltrexone should be used cautiously in patients whose serum aminotransferase results are greater than five times the upper limit of normal. 

  • Cannot be used for people using opioid for pain management

A careful drug use history and urine toxicological screening should also be done so as to confirm abstinence from opioids, including prescribed pain medications, as well as a lack of opioid dependence before initiating treatment. Comprehensive urine tests should be carried out to measure methadone and other opioids. However, urine testing can be subject to error because typical urine screening tests may not cover all opioids and samples can be tampered with to affect the results.

It is important to note that Administration of naltrexone should not be initiated until the patient has been opioid-free for between 7 to 10 days and that the naloxone challenge test for opioid withdrawal is negative. If no abstinence signs are observed following a preliminary dose of naltrexone 25mg, the rest of the daily dose is administered. Maintenance treatment regimen with naltrexone can be flexible where patients may receive naltrexone 50mg on weekdays and 100mg on Saturday or 100mg every other day, or 150mg every third day. Naltrexone is not suitable for use in patients with acute hepatitis or liver failure and should not be used in patients receiving opioid analgesics. The major active effect of naltrexone is on opioid drugs, which is one class of drugs used primarily to treat pain but is also found in some prescription cough preparations. This is because Naltrexone will block the effect of normal doses of this type of drug. There are many non-narcotic pain relievers that can be used effectively while you are undergoing treatment with naltrexone. Anyway, naltrexone is likely to have little impact on other medications patients commonly used in patients such as non-opioid analgesics (e.g., aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen) and antibiotics, and allergy medications.one should inform a physician of whatever medication he or she is currently taking so that possible interactions can be examined. Since naltrexone is metabolized by the liver, treatments that affect liver function may influence the dose of naltrexone.

naltrexone

A point to note is that naltrexone neither reduces the effects of alcohol that impair coordination nor judgment. Also Naltrexone’s effects on blocking opioids occurs shortly after the first dose is administered. Furthermore, findings confirm that the effects of naltrexone in helping patients remain abstinent and avoid relapse to alcohol use also occur early. However, Naltrexone should not be used with expectant women, people with liver or kidney damage or with patients who cannot practice abstinence for at least 5 days prior to commencing treatment. Also, people who are dependent on opioids such as heroin or morphine must cease their drug use at least 7 days prior to starting naltrexone.

Other than side effects, which are usually for a short period as well as mild, patients normally report that they are unaware of feelings of being on this medication. Naltrexone usually has no psychological effects and patients do not feel funny. It is also not addictive. While it reduces alcohol craving, it does not interfere with the experience of other types of pleasure.

Using Naltrexone To Decrease Alcohol Relapse

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