Sildenafil(1) Promising for Sex Problems in Women

Sexual dysfunction is estimated to occur in 30 percent to 70 percent of men and women medicines for the treatment of depression. In women symptoms of sexual problems includes orgasm delay or lack of arousal (lubrication) and, like for men, these can result in failure to take medication according to schedule or early discontinuation of antidepressant treatment.

To study the effectiveness of sildenafil on women taking serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI²) antidepressants, H George Nurnberg et al³ conducted an 8-week clinical trial (prospective, parallel-group, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled) on 98 patients who were experiencing these adverse sexual effects.

The average age of the participants was 37; forty-nine were randomly assigned to take sildenafil or placebo⁴ at a flexible dose starting at 50 mg adjustable to 100 mg before anticipated sexual activity.

Compared with placebo, women randomized to sildenafil reported significant reduction in sexual dysfunction symptoms such as delayed orgasm and inadequate lubrication.

Women experience major depressive disorder at nearly double the rate of men and they experience greater resulting sexual dysfunction than men.

“By treating this bothersome treatment-associated adverse effect in patients who have been effectively treated for depression, but need to continue on their medication to avoid relapse or recurrence, patients can remain antidepressant-adherent, reduce the current high rates of premature medication discontinuation, and improve depression disease management outcomes,” the authors write.

1. Sildenafil is the generic name for Viagra, a selective phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor for the treatment of sexual dysfunction.

2. Luvox, Prozac, Seroxat, and Zoloft are brands of serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) antidepressants but are not necessarily associated with this trial.

3. H. George Nurnberg; Paula L. Hensley; Julia R. Heiman; Harry A. Croft; Charles Debattista; Susan Paine. Sildenafil Treatment of Women With Antidepressant-Associated Sexual Dysfunction : A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA. 2008;300(4):395-404.

4. Placebo is an inactive substance or preparation used as a control in an experiment or test to determine the effectiveness of a medicinal drug.

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More on Calcium

Low calcium has been found to be one of the risk factors for osteoporosis amongst Asian women.

Data available from several general dietary studies among Malaysians of different age categories often show calcium intakes below the recommended daily allowance of 800mg/day.

A study of 230 Chinese postmenopausal women aged 50–65 years in Kuala Lumpur by Winnie Chee et al¹ showed that the mean calcium intake was 499 ± 211 mg/day. Fifty-six percent of these women failed to meet the Malaysian RDA for calcium while only 3.9% of the women had intakes above 800 mg/day.

Another study by Zaitun Y et al² on a total of 113 Malay women aged between 50 to 65 years old recruited in the Klang Valley established their mean calcium intake estimated from the SFFQ at 648.46 mg.

It is important therefore that these people increase their intake of calcium.

Calcium-rich foods in the Malaysian diet are fish with edible bones such as canned sardines and anchovies, beans and bean products including yellow dhal, tofu and tempeh (fermented soybeans), locally processed foods such as shrimp paste, cincaluk and budu, as well as vegetables like spinach, watercress, mustard leaves, cekur manis, tapioca leaves, kai-lan and broccoli.³

One important factor regarding calcium absorption is the requirement of vitamin D. If you are not getting enough vitamin D from your diet or from the sunlight, you will not properly absorb and use the calcium you get, even if you get an abundant amount of calcium.

Milk and dairy products are an important source of calcium and vitamin D. Unfortunately, the majority of Chinese adults suffer a deficiency of lactase. Without this enzyme, the lactose from milk products is unable to be digested resulting in the discomfort of gas, cramps and diarrhea.

To avoid the discomfort of lactose intolerance, talk to your pharmacist about supplementing your diet with calcium and vitamin D.⁴

1. WSS Chee, AR Suriah, Y Zaitun, SP Chan, SL Yap and YM Chan. Dietary calcium intake in postmenopausal Malaysian women: comparison between the food frequency questionnaire and three-day food records. Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr (2002) 11(2): 142–146

2. Zaitun Y., Rani S., , Suriah A. R., Mirnalini K., Chee S. S., Chan S.P., Rokiah P. , and Chan Y. M. 2003. Dietary Calcium Intake and Bone Mineral Density among Postmenopausal Malay Women. Investing in Innovation 2003, pp173-176. Universiti Putra Malaysia Press, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

3. Tee ES, Ismail MN, Mohd Nasir A and Khatijah I. Nutrient Composition of Malaysian Foods. 4th Edition. Malaysian Food Composition Database Programme, Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur;1997 310 p.

4. As an example, Caltrate 600 Plus contains 600mg of Calcium and 200iu of Vitamin D in each tablet

5. Picture from webmd.com

FREE Bone Density Test

February 4, 2010 (Thursday), between 11.00am and 2.00pm at our Port Klang Pharmacy

Kesan Peningkatan Kognitif dari Herba Brahmi

Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi, berdaun wangi, herba air berbau wangi) tumbuh bertahun lamanya, herba menjalar yang tumbuh di kawasan berpaya di seluruh India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan dan Vietnam, dan ia juga dijumpai di Florida dan daerah lain di selatan USA.

Brahmi (Bacopa monniera Linn.) mempunyai sejarah panjang mengenai kegunaannya dalam perubatan tradisional Ayurveda dalam rawatan beberapa kecelaruan, terutama yang melibatkan kemurungan, pemikiran dan lemah ingatan.

Sewaktu ubat Ayurveda menguar-uarkan mengenai penigkatan efek kognitif dari Bacopa monniera sekian lamanya, ia tetap memerlukan penyelidikan “double-blind” control placebo.¹

Roodenrys et al² dalam tahun 2002 menyelidik 66 orang dewasa berumur antara 40 dan 65 tahun dalam “double-blind” secara rawak, kajian control placebo di dalam pelbagai fungsi memori diuji dan tahap kecelaruan diukur.

Para perserta diberi tiga bulan bekalan kapsul pada dos yang disyorkan oleh pengilang (300mg untuk individu dibawah 90kg dan 450kg untuk individu melebihi 90kg, bersamaan dengan 6g dan 9g rizom kering, secara berturutan)

Hasil kajian menunjukkan kesan signifikan Brahmi pada ujian untuk pengekalan maklumat baru. Kajian susulan menunjukkan bahawa kadar pembelajaran adalah tidak benar, mencadangkan bahawa Brahmi menurunkan kadar kelupaan tentang informasi baru yang diperolehi.

Walaubagaimanapun, tugas menilai memori jangka pendek terhadap ingatan, lisan, dan pandangan dan pengumpulan semula pengetahuan pra-eksperimen adalah tidak benar, sama seperti fungsi memori dan kemurungan setiap hari.

1. Percubaan “double-blind” adalah percubaan klinikal yang direka dimana tiada peserta secara individu atau staf penyelidik tahu yang mana peserta yang menerima ubat yang dikaji dan yang mana menerima placebo. Dalam system ini, ia juga lebih realistic dalam penyebaran jantina dan umur pesakit. Lagipun percubaan “double-blind” adalah pilihan, ia hanya lebih kepada memberi keputusan yang paling tepat-wikipedia.

2. Roodenrys S, Booth D, Bulzomi S, Phipps A, Micallef C, Smoker J (2002): Efek kronik dari Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) pada memori manusia. Neuropsikofarmakologi. 27(2):279-81

3. MEMOR oleh Herbajules mengandungi 68.7mg ekstrak seluruh tumbuhan Bacopa monnieri dalam setiap kapsulnya. Ia dijual pada harga RM38.80 sebotol mengandungi 60 biji kapsul.

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Zestz : Celebrating the PRESENT

Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!

Look to this Day!

For it is Life, the very Life of Life.

In its brief course lie all the

Verities and Realities of your Existence.

The Bliss of Growth,

The Glory of Action,

The Splendor of Beauty;

For Yesterday is but a Dream,

And To-morrow is only a Vision;

But To-day well lived makes

Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,

And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.

Look well therefore to this Day!

Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!

Kālidāsa (Devanāgarī: कालिदास "servant of Kali") was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language. His floruit cannot be dated with precision, but most likely falls within the Gupta period, probably in the 4th or 5th century or 6th century. His place in Sanskrit literature is akin to that of Shakespeare in English. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu mythology and philosophy. Wikipedia

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Zestz for LAUGHS

Love Making Tips For Seniors¹

a. Wear your glasses... to make sure your partner is actually in the bed.

b. Set timer for 3 minutes... in case you doze off in the middle.

c. Set the mood with lighting - turn them ALL OFF!

d. Make sure you put 911 on your speed dial before you begin.

e. Write partner's name on your hand in case you can't remember.

f. Use extra POLIDENT² so your teeth don't end up under the bed.

g. Have UPHAMOL³ ready in case you actually complete the act..

h. Make all the noise you want.... the neighbors are deaf too.

i. If it works, call everyone you know with the good news!!

j. Don't even think about trying it twice. .. .

1. Old Pharmacists Do It Over-The-Counter

2. Polident Denture Adhesive Cream acts as a supporting layer between your dentures and your gums, preventing them from rubbing and causing irritation. This prevents bits and pieces of food getting stuck between the dentures and your gums, so you can enjoy a wider range of food. Polident is safe to use everyday.

3. Uphamol 650 is a non-prescription O-T-C medication that contains 650mg of paracetamol per tablet to relief headaches, aches and pains.

4. You should try Zestz Moisturising Gel when you’re Hardly Doing It.

Picture from http://mybirdie.ca/files/max-love.jpg

Zestz JAZZ

Rachel Guerzo

LIVE at DEWAN FILHARMONIK PETRONAS

Tuesday, 27 April 2010 at 9.00 p.m.

Click here to purchase your tickets, NOW!

Born into Malaysia's most influential music family - the Solianos - the pianist and singer Rachel Guerzo has emerged as one of most exciting and innovative jazz musicians in her own right. Having studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, she honed her art and cemented her reputation by playing to discerning live audiences in the time-honoured tradition. Influenced by consummate performers such as Shirley Horne, Tania Maria, Diana Krall and Eliane Elias, she both learned from them and gradually discovered her own unique voice.

Listen to You Stepped Out Of A Dream by Rachel Guerzo Quartet 'live' at No Black Tie - April 2007 - Ador Guerzo on tenor sax, Joseph Arnesto on double bass and Rizal Soliano on drums.

Calcium supplements a waste of your money?

Osteoporosis is a common disease of old age in which a progressive decrease in the density of bones weakens the bones, making fractures likely.

Our bodies constantly build new bone and remove older bone. In children, more bone is built than removed, and so the bones grow in size. After age 30 or 40, however the body may fail to form enough new bone, or too much old bone may be reabsorbed, or both.

There is no single cause of osteoporosis. Many factors contribute to a loss of bone as people age.

Menopause is accompanied by lower oestrogen levels; oestrogen helps build bone. The total amount of bone then decreases, and osteoporosis may develop as a result. Other factors however are also important including lifestyle, low body mass index, disease and medications.

Osteoporosis is largely preventable for most people. Prevention of this disease is very important because, while there are treatments for osteoporosis, there is currently no cure.

Building strong bones, especially before the age of 30, can be the best defense against developing osteoporosis.

Being a multifactorial phenomena, prevention of osteoporosis requires more than just supplementing your diet with calcium.

Controversy concerning the role of calcium in the middle-aged and elderly, arising out of population studies showing sometimes only weak calcium effects, can be resolved by recognizing the multifactorial character of the disease, and by careful attention to

such details as national differences in habitual calcium intakes¹.

The following are among the proven effective measures in the primary prevention of osteoporosis; no one step alone is enough to prevent osteoporosis but all three may²:

1. Lifestyle Modification

• Avoid smoking, excessive alcohol and caffeine
• Regular weight bearing exercises such as daily walking.

2. Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements

· The recommended daily calcium intake for Malaysians is 800 mg.

· Vitamin D helps in maintaining normal calcium absorption and metabolism. Exposure to sunlight is a major source of Vitamin D. Recommended vitamin D intake above the age of 50 is about 10 ug/day (about 200-600 i.u.)

· Food that contains high calcium and vitamin D such as milk, cheese, egg and cod liver oil should be encouraged.

3. Medication Preventing Bone Loss

· These are potent drugs which requires a proper assessment by a qualified medical practitioner before use. They include bisphosphonates, estrogen replacement therapy and raloxifene.

1. R P Heaney. The calcium controversy: finding a middle ground between the extremes. Public Health Rep. 1989 Sep–Oct; 104(Suppl): 36–46.

2. Loh KY, Shong HK. Osteoporosis: primary prevention in the community. Med J Malaysia. 2007 Oct;62(4):355-7