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The majority of married military couples currently in the service appear to be happy with the state of their relationships, a new study suggests.

The observation stems from a study conducted in 2008 by researchers at Kansas State University, who administered a quality-of-life survey to 700 U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Fort Riley, in Kansas, along with 390 of their spouses.

“Because of the stressors that have been on the military and military families, particularly in the last decade, it’s easy to focus on the difficulty and dysfunction of their marriages,” Jared Anderson, an assistant professor of family studies and human services at the university, said in a news release. “But I think one of the things that this study does is look at what makes these families resilient in the midst of ongoing stress.”

The researchers found that although soldiers were 1.7 times more likely than their spouses to feel distress regarding their marriage, 81 percent of the soldiers and 85 percent of their spouses were “non-distressed” with respect to marital satisfaction.

The authors, whose research is still in the pre-publication stage, note that marital satisfaction bodes well for the long-term stability of military marriages, as well as for the individual well-being of soldiers and their families.

A healthy marriage report card, they note, could also have a positive impact on both soldier retention and readiness.

Nearly all the soldiers had been deployed at least once, while a third had been deployed twice or more. Although other research shows that combat exposure is a key factor in marital problems, deployment frequency alone was not associated with an increased likelihood to feel marital distress.

Instead, a greater likelihood of relationship distress among soldiers was linked to living on a U.S. base apart from one’s family; being relatively newly married; having a lower rank; and dating or being engaged rather than married.

Noting that a snapshot of marital experience in just one Army post might not be representative of the national picture, the authors say they plan to expand their research in the future.

SOURCE: Kansas State University news release.

A new U.S. survey, touted as the first of its kind, reveals that primary care doctors are taking over a larger share of care for people with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Fifty-four percent of primary care doctors surveyed said they treat HIV-positive patients, and 43 percent said the number of HIV cases they treat had increased over the past year.

Among primary care physicians who treat HIV-positive patients, more than one-third said they see more than 200 cases a year.

“The state of HIV primary care is evolving rapidly, with serious implications for the health-care system,” Brian Hujdich, executive director of HealthHIV, the organization that commissioned the report, said in a news release.

Hujdich called on more medical education for primary care doctors so they can provide better care.

HealthHIV, located in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit organization that provides education, technical assistance and health services research to organizations, communities and professionals to advance the care and support for people living with, or at risk for, HIV/AIDS.

The report, based on a national survey of 1,165 respondents, will be presented in July at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

SOURCE: HealthHIV, news release.

When it comes to weight-loss patterns, the old adage proclaims that “slow and steady” wins the race, but recent research suggests otherwise.

A new study found that obese women who started out losing 1.5 pounds a week or more on average and kept it up lost more weight over time than women who lost more slowly. They also maintained the loss longer and were no more likely to put it back on than the slowest losers, the researchers added.

The results shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that crash diets work, said study author Lisa Nackers, a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Her report is published online in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

Rather, she said, the quicker weight loss of the fast-losing group reflected their commitment to the program, Nackers said. “The fast group attended more sessions [to talk about weight loss], completed more food records and ate fewer calories than the slow group.”

Fast loss is relative. For her study, Nackers said, “fast losers are those who lost at least a pound and a half a week.”

The faster loss resulted from their active participation in the program, she said. “Those who make the behavior changes early do better in terms of weight loss and long term [in keeping it off].”

For the study, Nackers drew from data on 262 participants in an obesity treatment trial that included middle-aged women, average age 59, who were obese, with an average body-mass index (BMI) of 36.8 (30 and above is obese).

During the six-month intervention, they were encouraged to reduce calories enough to lose about a pound a week. The follow-up was another 12 months, for a total of 18 months.

When Nackers tracked the weight loss, she divided the women into three groups: 69 were in the fast group, losing about 1.5 pounds or more a week; 104 were in the moderate group, losing about a half pound to under 1.5 pounds a week, and 89 were in the slow group, losing less than a half pound weekly.

At six months, the fast group had lost an average of 29.7 pounds, the moderate group 19.6 and the slow group 11.2.

After 18 months, the fast group was 5.1 times more likely to achieve 10 percent weight loss — a good goal for improving health — than the slow group, and the moderate group was nearly three times as likely.

Nackers found no significant differences in weight regain among the three groups.

The results are no surprise to Alice Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston. “It confirms that those individuals who are more adherent to the weight loss intervention lost more weight,” she said.

“I think the point is, you want people to make changes in their diet and physical activity patterns so they start losing weight and maintain the loss,” she said.

Nackers agreed, saying the study results should in no way encourage people to go on fad diets but to adopt healthier lifestyle behaviors.

SOURCES: Lisa Nackers, doctoral student, University of Florida, Gainesville; Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc.; Stanley J. Gershoff Professor of Nutrition Science and Policy, Friedman School, Tufts University, director and senior scientist, Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston;

Vaccination against rotavirus greatly reduces the risk of hospitalization for acute gastroenteritis among children, new research shows.

Rotavirus, a leading cause of severe diarrhea and dehydration among young children, is estimated to cause more than half a million deaths worldwide each year. The illness was associated with 55,000 to 70,000 hospitalizations a year in the United States before the rotavirus vaccine became available in 2006.

In a new study, Aaron Curns and colleagues from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality examined data from 18 states on the number of U.S. children who were hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis during “rotavirus season” in 2000-2006 and then from 2007-2008, after the vaccine became available. Rotavirus season is considered the months of January through June, when the infection is most common.

Rates of hospitalization for gastroenteritis were 16 percent lower in 2007 than in the pre-vaccine period and 45 percent lower in 2008, Curns and colleagues reported online and in the June 1 print issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

The study authors estimated that the vaccine prevented 55,000 hospitalizations during the 2008 rotavirus season.

The authors of a commentary accompanying the study had this to say: “These encouraging findings are important for emphasizing the benefits and increasing the acceptance of rotavirus vaccination in the United States and will also help other countries assess the value of rotavirus vaccines for their children.”

But, “it remains essential to continue monitoring acute gastroenteritis hospitalization rates during subsequent rotavirus seasons to fully understand and document the impact of vaccination as the program matures in this country,” added Dr. Geoffrey A. Weinberg and Dr. Peter G. Szilagyi of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York.

SOURCE: Infectious Diseases Society of America, news release.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic versions of two drugs used for the treatment of hypertension. Losartan potassium tablets and losartan potassium and hydrochlorothiazide tablets (a combination drug) are the generic equivalents of Cozaar and Hyzaar tablets, respectively.

Cozaar and Hyzaar tablets are widely-used antihypertensive drugs. Both generic losartan products will carry the same safety warnings as their brand counterparts. These warnings include a boxed warning against the use of these products during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Losartan potassium tablets are approved in 25 milligram, 50 mg, and 100 mg strengths, and Losartan potassium and hydrochlorothiazide tablets are approved in 50 mg/12.5 mg, 100mg/12.5 mg, and 100 mg/25 mg strengths. Both products are manufactured by TEVA Pharmaceuticals USA in North Wales, Pa.

In related actions, the FDA also approved applications from several other companies for losartan potassium and hydrochlorothiazide tablets for the 100 mg/12.5 mg strength only. These companies include Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., Roxane Laboratories Inc., and Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued warning letters to six U.S. based medical spas and a company in Brazil for making false or misleading statements on their Web sites about drugs they claim will eliminate fat in a procedure called “lipodissolve,” or for otherwise misbranding lipodissolve products.

The U.S. companies involved have made claims that the drugs they use for their lipodissolve procedures are safe and effective; however, these products have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for this use.

Lipodissolve is a procedure involving a series of drug injections intended to dissolve and permanently remove small pockets of fat from various parts of the body. It also is known as mesotherapy, lipozap, lipotherapy, or injection lipolysis. The most commonly injected drugs are phosphatidylcholine and deoxycholate, usually in various combinations with one another.

In some cases, other ingredients, including drugs or components of other products such as vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts are added to the mixture. The FDA is not aware of any credible scientific evidence that supports the effectiveness of any of these substances for fat elimination, and their safety when used alone or in combination is unknown.

The FDA is requesting a written response from the U.S. companies within 15 business days of receipt of the warning letters stating how they will correct these violations and prevent similar violations in the future. Each U.S. company has been informed in its warning letter that failure to promptly correct the violations may result in legal action.

Each of the companies involved has been cited for a variety of regulatory violations, including making unsupported claims that the products have an outstanding safety record and are superior to other fat loss procedures, including liposuction. Additionally some of the letters indicate that the companies have made claims that lipodissolve products can be used to treat certain medical conditions, such as male breast enlargement, benign fatty growths known as lipomas, excess fat deposits and surgical deformities. The FDA is not aware of clinical evidence to support any of these claims.

“We are concerned that these companies are misleading consumers,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “It is important for anyone who is considering this voluntary procedure to understand that the products used to perform lipodissolve procedures are not approved by the FDA for fat removal.”

The FDA has received reports of adverse effects in persons who have had the procedure using these drugs, including permanent scarring, skin deformation, and deep painful knots under the skin in areas where the lipodissolve products have been injected.

The warning letters were issued to the following U.S. companies: Monarch Medspa, King of Prussia, Pa; Spa 35, Boise, Idaho; Medical Cosmetic Enhancements, Chevy Chase, Md.; Innovative Directions in Health, Edina, Minn.; PURE Med Spa, Boca Raton, Fl.; and All About You Med Spa, Madison, Ind. The Brazilian company receiving a warning letter markets lipodissolve products on two Web sites: zipmed.net and mesoone.com.

The FDA will notify regulatory authorities in Brazil of this action. The agency has issued an import alert against the zipmed.net and mesoone.com entities to prevent the importation and distribution of unapproved lipodissolve drug products into the United States. Importing and distributing unapproved drug products is a violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Health care professionals and consumers may report serious adverse events (side effects) or quality problems with the use of these products to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, fax, or phone.

Physical disabilities that limit mobility are increasing among middle-age Americans, a new study reports, and experts say the trend could have serious long-term consequences for the U.S. health-care system.

Researchers from the Rand Corp., a nonprofit research group, analyzed data from the annual National Health Interview Survey, covering 1997 to 2007, and found that more than 40 percent of respondents 50 to 64 years old reported difficulty with at least one of nine physical functions.

During those 10 years, the study found, there was a significant increase in the number of people in that age group who said that a health problem made it difficult for them to stand for two hours, stoop, walk a quarter mile or climb 10 steps without resting. A growing number of that age also said they needed help with such daily activities as getting in or out of bed or getting around inside their homes.

After 2005, people in this age group said the most common causes for needing help were arthritis, rheumatism, neck problems, diabetes, depression, anxiety or emotional problems. Many of these health issues began in their 30s and 40s.

“This a disappointing trend with potentially far-reaching and long-term negative consequences,” Richard Suzman, director of the Division of Behavioral and Social Research at the U.S. National Institute on Aging, which funded the study, said in a news release from Rand.

“If people have such difficulties in middle age, how can we expect that this age group — today’s baby boomers — will be able to take care of itself with advancing age?” Suzman said. “If it continues, this trend could have a significant effect on the need for long-term care in the future.”

Linda Martin, a senior fellow at Rand and the study’s lead author, agreed that “although the overall rate of needing help with personal care among this group remains very low — less than 2 percent — this rise in disability is reason for concern.”

“It does not bode well for future trends for the 65 and older population,” she said in the news release. “Plus there are substantial personal and societal costs of caring for people of any age who need help.”

The findings indicate a need for earlier intervention, added Vicki A. Freedman, a researcher professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan and a co-author of the report.

“We have this uptick of people in their 50s and 60s who say they need help with their daily activities of living. and we’re not sure why,” Freedman said in the news release. “But the patterns suggest the need for prevention and early intervention before the age of Medicare eligibility.”

The study is published in the  issue of Health Affairs.

Running a marathon is challenging enough, but now new research shows that the performance of female marathoners can be hindered by a certain type of air pollution.

Researchers analyzed marathon race results, weather data and air pollution concentrations in seven major U.S. marathons over a period of eight to 28 years. They found that higher levels of air pollution particles were associated with slower finish times for women. Air pollution levels didn’t appear to have a significant impact on men, the study authors noted.

“Although pollution levels in these marathons rarely exceeded national standards for air quality, performance was still affected,” study author Linsey Marr said in a news release from the American College of Sports Medicine.

That’s because of marathoners’ breathing patterns, Marr explained.

“Previous research has shown that during a race, marathon runners inhale and exhale about the same volume of air as a sedentary person would over the course of two full days. Therefore, runners are exposed to much greater amounts of pollutants than under typical breathing conditions,” Marr said.

The researchers looked at a number of other air pollution components — such as carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide — but found that only particulate matter affected the performance of female marathoners.

The study findings are published in the March issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.