Does Finasteride provide protection from Prostate Cancer

A new study has found that finasteride, a common hormone-blocking drug, does not increase the risk of prostate cancer death.

During the initial study findings it was suggested that there could be a connection between using the drug and a more dangerous form of prostate cancer, however, long-term follow-up showed that this wasn’t true.

“What we can now say is that finasteride not only significantly reduces a man’s risk of prostate cancer, it is safe to use based on very long-term follow-up in our study,” said Dr. Ian Thompson, Jr., principal investigator of SWOG’s Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, or PCPT.

Another study which was based on how food affects prostate cancer discovered that a typical Western high-fat diet such as cheeseburgers and fries could lead to prostate cancer becoming more aggressive and causing it to spread.

For the study, which was published in the journals Nature Genetics and Nature Communications, the team increased the levels of saturated fats - which are found in fast food cheeseburgers and fries in the diet of the test mice, because of which they started developing aggressive, metastatic tumours.

“In PCPT, we found no increased risk of prostate cancer death in men who took finasteride compared with men who did not. These results are transformational.”

Thompson and his team began to determine if finasteride, which is used for treating symptoms of prostate enlargement and also male pattern baldness, could prevent prostate cancer in men who were above 55 years.

The PCPT randomised 18,882 men from 1993 to 1997 to finasteride or a placebo - which made it one of the biggest cancer prevention trials ever conducted. The trial intervention came to a halt in 2003 when investigators discovered that finasteride cut down on the risk of prostate cancer by 25%.

However, the study also showed that finasteride produced a tiny increase in the number of high-grade prostate cancers - a negative finding that led to a ‘black box’ warning posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on prescription drug labels to flag potentially disabling or life-threatening side effects.

Subsequent SWOG analyses of PCPT data showed some unexpected benefits of finasteride. It improved the detection of prostate cancer in screening tests and biopsies. Still, despite proof of these benefits, the label warning made sure that till date very few men take the drug for lowering the risk of cancer.

Thompson and his team did a new analysis with regards to the study- they matched participants to the National Death Index, a centralised database of death record information which is controlled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With about 300,000 person-years of follow-up and a median follow-up of 18.4 years, they discovered that 42 deaths because of prostate cancer on the finasteride arm and 56 on placebo. Hence, there was no statistically major risk of prostate cancer death related to finasteride.

“Treatment for the disease is costly and can have serious side effects, such as impotence and urinary incontinence. My hope is that the visionary decision of our National Cancer Institute colleagues to conduct this study, and the scientific evidence it produced these last 25 years, will provide a lasting benefit for patients,” Thompson said.

The findings were delivered at the Journal of Urology Lecture at the 2018 Annual American Urological Association Meeting in San Francisco.

Read More - Finasteride can save men from Prostate cancer

Daily dose of Viagra may reduce colorectal cancer risk

The results have only been found in mice so far but the next step for the research team is to get the trial approved for human tests with people who are considered high risk for colorectal cancer, like those with a family history. The disease is the third most common cancer in the world, according to the study, and is diagnosed more than one million times each year with about 50,000 of them ending in death.

But the research team is hoping to reduce these numbers. They saw in their trial that the mice were helped by a reduction of polyps — the abnormal clumping of cells that build on the inside lining of the intestines and have a tendency to become tumors. A daily low-dose of Viagra halved these formations in the critters.

Viagra reduces colorectal cancer risk

Viagra has been shown to cause hearing loss

The finding stems from an analysis of survey data concerning more than 11,500 men over the age of 40 that had been collected by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality between 2003 and 2006.

Gerald McGwin, a professor of epidemiology in the University of Alabama and his team found that men who said they used phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor drugs had twice the risk for developing hearing loss as those who did not.

The authors suggests that one possible explanation could lie in the original purpose of these medications. They note that although now used mainly for erectile dysfunction, this class of drugs was initially prescribed for the treatment of pulmonary high blood pressure.

PDE5 inhibitor medications work in erectile dysfunction patients by their ability to increase blood flow to certain tissues in the body and it has been hypothesized that they may have a similar effect on similar tissues in the ear, where an increase of blood flow could potentially cause damage leading to hearing loss.

It appears from these findings that the 2007 warning by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding hearing loss and the use of PDE5 inhibitor medications is warranted.

"Though there are limitations to this study, it is prudent that patients using these medications be warned about the signs and symptoms of hearing impairment and be encouraged to seek immediate medical attention to potentially forestall permanent damage," McGwin cautions.

Viagra hearing loss

Curing Erectile Dysfunction using Diets and Supplements

What is Eerectile Dysfunction ?

Erectile dysfunction — the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex — is a common problem. You've likely seen advertisements for erectile dysfunction herbs or supplements to "increase your sexual performance." Could they work for you?

Erectile dysfunction supplements and other natural remedies have long been used in Chinese, African and other cultures. But unlike prescription medications for erectile dysfunction, such as sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn), tadalafil (Cialis) and avanafil (Stendra), erectile dysfunction herbs and supplements haven't been well-studied or tested. Some can cause side effects or interact with other medications. And the amount of the active ingredient can vary greatly from product to product.

Erectile Dysfunction drugs can be costly and many people choose to use generic versions of drugs like Viagra which can provide you with great results.

Buy Generic Viagra 150 Mg 

Apart from Viagra and similar drugs, what are the other ways in which you can cure erectile dysfunction ?

1. Panax ginseng

Called the herbal Viagra, Panax ginseng (red ginseng) has solid research behind it. Researchers reviewed seven studies of red ginseng and ED in 2008. Dosages ranged from 600 to 1,000 milligrams (mg) three times daily. They concluded there was “suggestive evidence for the effectiveness of red ginseng in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.”

2. DHEA

Some evidence shows that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) increases libido in women and helps erectile dysfunction in men. DHEA appears to be safe at low doses. It can cause acne.

3. L Arginine

Some evidence shows that taking high doses improves erectile dysfunction by stimulating blood vessels to open wider for improved blood flow. Side effects may include nausea, cramps and diarrhea. Don't take L-arginine with Viagra.

Researchers studied the effects of L-arginine on ED. Thirty-one percent of men with ED taking 5 grams of L-arginine per day experienced significant improvements in sexual function.

A second study showed that L-arginine combined with pycnogenol, a plant product from tree bark, restored sexual ability to 80 percent of participants after two months. Ninety-two percent had restored sexual ability after three months.

Another placebo-controlled study found that L-arginine in combination with other medications was well-tolerated, safe, and effective for mild-to-moderate ED.

4. Horny goat weed 

Substances in the leaves of this herb have been used to improve sexual performance, but the herb has not been studied in people. This herb might affect heart function.

5. Yohimbe

This supplement is extracted from the bark of the African yohimbe tree. Some studies have shown positive effects on sexual performance with use of this drug.

However, the American Urological Association doesn’t recommend yohimbe as an ED treatment. This is because there’s not a lot of evidence proving it works. Its side effects might be damaging to health. These include increased blood pressure and heart rate, irritability, and tremor.

If you decide you want to try yohimbe, be sure to talk to your doctor beforehand.

References

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