Soy Food Effects on Semen Quality
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Isoflavones are plant-derived polyphenoloic compounds with weak estrogenic activity found mainly in soybeans and soy-derived products. High isoflavone intake has been reported to be associated with decreased animal fertility. The impact of high isoflavone intake on human fertility is unknown. This Cross-sectional study assesses isoflavone intake in males of sub fertile couples who had semen analyses. The questionnaire was designed to assess intake of 15 soy-based foods in the last three months was collected.
100 men with semen data and completed questionnaires were studied. There was an inverse association between soy food intake and sperm concentration that remained significant when evaluated with respect to age, abstinence, body mass, and caffeine, each of tobacco intake. There was no impact on sperm motility of morphology.
FDA approves combo eye drop for glaucoma
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U.S. regulators approved a new glaucoma treatment—Combigan, an eye drop that treats the potentially blinding eye condition with two drugs that work through different mechanisms, Allergan Inc said Wednesday.
Blacks more likely to leave hospital against advice
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African Americans are more likely than their white or Hispanic counterparts to check themselves out of the hospital against their doctors’ advice, a new study has found.
In an analysis of more than 3 million discharges from U.S. hospitals in 2002, the researchers found that 1.4 percent were made against medical advice. Compared with white patients, African Americans were 35 percent more likely to opt for such a “self-discharge,” the researchers report in the American Journal of Public Health.
Exercise, diet improve obese kids’ motor skills
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Obese children who lose weight through diet and exercise may become stronger and more agile in the process, a study shows.
German researchers found that a program that focused on physical activity and diet education was able to not just help obese children shed pounds, but to also improve their endurance, strength, balance and coordination.
Prostate cancer therapy may increase diabetes risk
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New research suggests that a hormone therapy, commonly used to treat prostate cancer, called androgen-deprivation therapy may increase the risk of diabetes, particularly in obese men.
Androgen-deprivation therapy involves the use of medications or surgery to reduce body levels of testosterone, a hormone that is known to increase the growth of prostate cancer cells.
Sunlight may cut breast cancer risk for some women
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Exposure to sunlight may reduce the risk of advanced breast cancer in women with light skin pigmentation, according to the results of a population-based study appearing in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
“We believe that sunlight helps reduce women’s risk of breast cancer because the body manufactures the active form of vitamin D from exposure to sunlight,” lead author Dr. Esther M. John, from the Northern California Cancer Center in Fremont, said in a statement.
Cholesterol drug may improve prostate cancer
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Treatment with statins, a widely used class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, which include Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor, is associated with a longer rate of relapse-free survival after radiotherapy for prostate cancer, particularly among patients with more aggressive cancers, researchers reported here at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO).
Dr. Michael J. Zelefsky of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and colleagues reviewed data for 871 men with prostate adenocarcinomas treated between January 1995 and July 2000.
Many obesity surgery candidates fail psych screen
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Pre-operative psychiatric evaluations can reliably spot patients who are not yet ready for obesity surgery, a new study suggests.
Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University in Providence found that of 500 candidates for so-called bariatric surgery at their center, nearly one-fifth did not pass their initial psychiatric evaluation.
Rheumatoid arthritis patients’ mortality unchanged
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The decline in mortality seen in the U.S. population over the past four decades has not extended to patients with rheumatoid arthritis, despite innovations in rheumatoid arthritis treatment, according to a report in the current issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Rheumatoid arthritis is known to be associated with excess mortality, the authors explain, but whether survival in rheumatoid arthritis patients has improved over time has been unclear.
Anxiety may raise death risk after heart surgery
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People who are prone to anxiety may face greater risks following heart surgery than their counterparts with more relaxed dispositions, a study has found.
In a study of 180 heart surgery patients, Hungarian researchers found that patients with anxiety-prone personalities had a slightly higher death rate and a greater risk of hospitalization in the four years following their surgery.
Obesity estimated to cost U.S. billions
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A new study suggests that obesity among older Americans costs taxpayers billions of extra dollars in Medicare expenses—a financial burden that will only grow in years to come.
Using data from Medicare surveys conducted between 1992 and 2001, researchers found that men who were obese at age 65 had lifetime healthcare expenses that were up to13 percent higher than normal-weight men their age. Among women, that figure was as high as 17 percent.
FDA wants big warning on Glaxo diabetes drug
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Food and Drug Administration officials are pushing for a “black box” warning on GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s hard-hit diabetes drug Avandia, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.
The warning would be a further blow to the top-selling diabetes drug, which came under pressure last May when a U.S. analysis linked Avandia to a 43-percent higher risk of heart attack in patients.
Insomnia drug improves work performance: Sanofi
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Data show improvements in work performance in patients with chronic insomnia who are treated with the sleep aid Ambien (zolpidem tartrate), French pharmaceutical group Sanofi-Aventis said Wednesday
“Patients with chronic insomnia can have a higher frequency of work-related problems including absenteeism, an increased rate of accidents, difficulty performing duties and less job satisfaction,” Sanofi said in a statement.
Hemoglobin levels useful for diabetes screening
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Measuring patients’ glycosylated hemoglobin levels (A1C) could be used to screen for diabetes, according to California-based researchers.
A1C is a test that measures the percentage of glucose (sugar) that is attached to hemoglobin, a molecule in red blood cells. It reflects the average glucose levels over the previous 3 to 4 months. Untreated (or uncontrolled) diabetics have A1C levels that are 7.0 percent or higher. Diabetes is also detected by fasting plasma glucose levels of 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or greater.
Psychotherapy may relieve postpartum depression
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Symptoms of postpartum depression appear to be reduced by any psychosocial therapy, with women opting for this treatment doing better than those who try to struggle through with no treatment at all, findings of a study review suggest.
Many women experience mild, short-term depressive symptoms, or “baby blues,” shortly after delivery, while others - about 13 percent - develop more serious postpartum depression, according to lead author Dr. Cindy-Lee Dennis of the University of Toronto. Although antidepressant drugs can be effective in treating depression, about 50 percent of new mothers want to avoid taking drugs.
