Alzheimer’s Disease
Most people have heard of Alzheimer’s disease. It is a terrible disease that completely robs its victims of their mental faculties. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, over 5.5 million Americans suffer from this disease, and it is the leading cause of death among people aged 65 and over. The good news is that there are treatments available that can help those with Alzheimer’s live life to the fullest. One of the best treatments for Alzheimer’s is donepezil, which is a drug commonly used to treat Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders. Its effectiveness was proved in a clinical trial that compared donepezil to a placebo. The trial revealed that those who took donepezil for 18 months had a 30% reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Other anti-Alzheimer’s drugs include galantamine and rivastigmine, and many people who take these drugs have seen a significant improvement in their condition.
While there are numerous ways that a drug like donepezil can help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, one of the most effective methods is through the inhibition of amyloid beta (Aβ) production. Aβ is a protein that is produced naturally by the body. However, as those with Alzheimer’s know all too well, the production of Aβ increases as the disease progresses. This is why drugs that inhibit Aβ production are so effective at preventing or treating Alzheimer’s. One of the best examples of such a drug is viagra. The link between Alzheimer’s and erectile dysfunction was made in a recent retrospective study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The study looked into the history of erectile dysfunction in 339 men with Alzheimer’s. The study found that 37% of the men in the group had experienced erectile dysfunction earlier in life, and 69% of the men had experienced ED later in life. The study authors concluded that “several case reports have suggested a potential link between Alzheimer’s disease and erectile dysfunction”.
Prostate Cancer
Although most people think of prostate cancer when they think of sexual dysfunction, it is actually a very different disease that warrants different treatments. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men and the second leading cause of cancer death among them. One of the best treatments for prostate cancer is hormone therapy. The therapy, which is also used to treat patients with breast cancer, aims to block the effect of male hormones on prostate cancer cells. Another treatment that has been gaining popularity is radiation therapy, which involves taking X-rays or radioisotopes to treat the cancer. Unfortunately, these two treatments are not without their downsides. Hormone therapy often causes sexual problems and impotence in men, and radiation therapy can cause infertility.
An interesting study published in the Journal of Urology highlighted the effectiveness of sildenafil, the active ingredient in viagra, in reducing the risk of prostate cancer. Sildenafil is a phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor, which is a type of drug that promotes erectile function by increasing blood flow to the penis and smoothing the muscle walls. The study, which was done on mice, found that those who were given sildenafil had a 38% reduced risk of developing prostate cancer, compared to the control group. The study’s authors concluded that “our data suggest that PDE5 inhibitors may be a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer.”
The role of nitric oxide (NO) in prostate cancer has been a subject of much debate. Some researchers believe that NO is a cancer promoter, while others believe it to be a cancer suppressor. A team of scientists from the Netherlands published interesting findings about the relationship between NO and prostate cancer in a recent issue of the journal Molecular Oncology. The team hypothesized that increased NO production can lead to increased cell survival, proliferation, and angiogenesis, all of which promote prostate cancer growth. To test this out, the team used chemical inhibitors to prevent NO synthesis in mice with an overexpressed form of the enzyme PSA, which causes prostate cancer formation. PSA is a type of protein that is produced by the prostate gland and that indicates the presence of prostate cancer. The team found that mice whose NO synthesis was blocked by treatment with the compound L-NAME had significantly reduced prostate cancer growth compared to the control group. The results of the study indicate that NO may be responsible for prostate cancer cell survival and progression, and that pharmacological targeting of NO could prove to be a useful new strategy for the treatment of prostate cancer.