Saturday, July 30, 2005
some guys just cannot catch a break...
Take for instance Toronto Turds... I mean, guys, of course... *ahem*... And yes; this is the perfect scandalous subject to broach on a saturday too! A convergence of bad karma too...
Thus, these Torontonians try that famous blue pill to give themselves "an edge" - and it may cause them to go blind for all their trouble. (Which, ironically, proves that age old wisdom is always right... eventually. Onanism was supposed to make one go blind - so said old-timers anyway. Not true. But modern pharmacology would invent something that would... uh... "assist" both onanism as, primarily, copulation - and the end result might well be what the old-timers had foreseen...! Uncanny! Maybe it is their curse coming to fruition...? But that would be another story...).
In T.O. though, taking the blue pill is just the BEGINNING of one's problems... for, with a pill of any sort, what is more natural than a cup of water - to help in swallowing the darn little pesky thing, eh? Alas, water in Toronto these days might also come with an undesired aftertaste - tainted water that might bring them lasting kidney problems and high blood pressure on top of the blindness!!!
Geewhiz... when it rains, it pours... eh?
Thus, these Torontonians try that famous blue pill to give themselves "an edge" - and it may cause them to go blind for all their trouble. (Which, ironically, proves that age old wisdom is always right... eventually. Onanism was supposed to make one go blind - so said old-timers anyway. Not true. But modern pharmacology would invent something that would... uh... "assist" both onanism as, primarily, copulation - and the end result might well be what the old-timers had foreseen...! Uncanny! Maybe it is their curse coming to fruition...? But that would be another story...).
In T.O. though, taking the blue pill is just the BEGINNING of one's problems... for, with a pill of any sort, what is more natural than a cup of water - to help in swallowing the darn little pesky thing, eh? Alas, water in Toronto these days might also come with an undesired aftertaste - tainted water that might bring them lasting kidney problems and high blood pressure on top of the blindness!!!
Geewhiz... when it rains, it pours... eh?
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Study links tainted water to lasting kidney problems, high blood pressure
27/05/2005 7:28:00 PM
-------------------
TORONTO (CP) - A new study of the survivors of Canada's worst-ever E. coli disaster has for the first time established a link between lasting kidney and blood-pressure problems and the short-term gastric illness caused by drinking tainted water.
The study, which examined the health impact of the E. coli outbreak in Walkerton, Ont., where seven people died and thousands more fell ill five years ago, underscores the importance of clean drinking water, the authors conclude.
"Acute bacterial gastroenteritis necessitating medical attention was associated with an increased risk of hypertension and reduced kidney function four years after infection," says the study, published Friday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
"Maintaining safe drinking-water supplies remains essential to human health, as transient bacterial contaminations may have implications well beyond a period of acute self-limited illness."
Researchers looked at 1,958 adults who had been healthy before the devastating May 2000 outbreak.
Four years after the disaster, about one-third of those who had moderate or severe gastroenteritis but showed no signs of kidney disease during the outbreak had high blood pressure, the study found.
The incidence was significantly higher - about nine per cent - than among those who weren't sickened by the outbreak.
More importantly, the study also turned up a similarly elevated incidence of reduced kidney function in the range of about five or six per cent.
"There has never been an opportunity to do this kind of study," Dr. Amit Garg, a kidney specialist in London, Ont., and lead author of the study, said in an interview from Calgary.
"It gives us a lot of insight into acute infections over the long term."
Garg said the results will allow doctors to "emphasize a program of preventative care."
The study also raises "intiguing" questions about the need for long-term screening, especially in Third World countries where acute bacterial infections are common, he said.
The authors speculate that gastroenteritis caused by E. coli or campolybacter bacteria "may establish a state of chronic inflammation in some people" that can impair kidney function, and that stress caused by the outbreak may be to blame for the high blood pressure.
The results of the study came as no surprise to Bruce Davidson, vice-chairman of the grassroots group Concerned Walkerton Citizens.
"This is a road everyone has feared we would go down," Davidson said.
"The idea that we were out of the woods in the short term if nothing happened just did not resonate with most of us at all because we were already seeing patterns of people with deteriorating health."
It remains unclear whether long-term serious kidney impairment can result from bacterial gastroenteritis.
Dr. Paul McArthur, a family physician in Walkerton, called the study significant in uncovering a link between reduced kidney function and gastroenteritis but said he didn't it was "cause for alarm."
Davidson welcomed the study's conclusion about the importance of keeping drinking water safe.
"If we don't realize consequences from the mishandling of water, then we will continue to mishandle water," he said.
"We have to understand that these consequences are ongoing, and in some cases, life-altering and can devastate someone's future."
27/05/2005 7:28:00 PM
-------------------
TORONTO (CP) - A new study of the survivors of Canada's worst-ever E. coli disaster has for the first time established a link between lasting kidney and blood-pressure problems and the short-term gastric illness caused by drinking tainted water.
The study, which examined the health impact of the E. coli outbreak in Walkerton, Ont., where seven people died and thousands more fell ill five years ago, underscores the importance of clean drinking water, the authors conclude.
"Acute bacterial gastroenteritis necessitating medical attention was associated with an increased risk of hypertension and reduced kidney function four years after infection," says the study, published Friday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
"Maintaining safe drinking-water supplies remains essential to human health, as transient bacterial contaminations may have implications well beyond a period of acute self-limited illness."
Researchers looked at 1,958 adults who had been healthy before the devastating May 2000 outbreak.
Four years after the disaster, about one-third of those who had moderate or severe gastroenteritis but showed no signs of kidney disease during the outbreak had high blood pressure, the study found.
The incidence was significantly higher - about nine per cent - than among those who weren't sickened by the outbreak.
More importantly, the study also turned up a similarly elevated incidence of reduced kidney function in the range of about five or six per cent.
"There has never been an opportunity to do this kind of study," Dr. Amit Garg, a kidney specialist in London, Ont., and lead author of the study, said in an interview from Calgary.
"It gives us a lot of insight into acute infections over the long term."
Garg said the results will allow doctors to "emphasize a program of preventative care."
The study also raises "intiguing" questions about the need for long-term screening, especially in Third World countries where acute bacterial infections are common, he said.
The authors speculate that gastroenteritis caused by E. coli or campolybacter bacteria "may establish a state of chronic inflammation in some people" that can impair kidney function, and that stress caused by the outbreak may be to blame for the high blood pressure.
The results of the study came as no surprise to Bruce Davidson, vice-chairman of the grassroots group Concerned Walkerton Citizens.
"This is a road everyone has feared we would go down," Davidson said.
"The idea that we were out of the woods in the short term if nothing happened just did not resonate with most of us at all because we were already seeing patterns of people with deteriorating health."
It remains unclear whether long-term serious kidney impairment can result from bacterial gastroenteritis.
Dr. Paul McArthur, a family physician in Walkerton, called the study significant in uncovering a link between reduced kidney function and gastroenteritis but said he didn't it was "cause for alarm."
Davidson welcomed the study's conclusion about the importance of keeping drinking water safe.
"If we don't realize consequences from the mishandling of water, then we will continue to mishandle water," he said.
"We have to understand that these consequences are ongoing, and in some cases, life-altering and can devastate someone's future."
U.S. officials probe rare reports of blindness in Viagra, Cialis, Levitra users
27/05/2005 10:03:00 PM
--------------
WASHINGTON (CP) - U.S. federal health officials are investigating rare reports of blindness among some men using Viagra and other impotence drugs, but caution that this type of vision loss also is linked to the same illnesses that lead to impotence.
Federal health officials are examining rare reports of blindness among some men using the impotence drug Viagra. The Food and Drug Administration still is investigating, but has no evidence yet that the drug is to blame. (AP/Toby Talbot)
The questions about the impotence drugs come at a time when federal regulators and the drug industry are facing criticism about what they do to ensure the safety of drugs already on the market.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has 43 reports of varying degrees of vision loss, including blindness, among users of the drugs: 38 among Viagra users, four among Cialis users and one among Levitra users, said spokeswoman Susan Cruzan.
There have been no positively linked cases in Canada, a Health Canada spokesman said Friday.
However, Ryan Baker said Health Canada is in contact with Pfizer, which makes Viagra.
"There are currently no adverse reactions of blindness in Canada positively linked to this drug," Baker said.
"There were two cases of blindness reported since Jan. 1, 1999, in association with the use of Viagra but Health Canada assessed those reports and found no link could be established."
In the United States, the FDA is in discussions with the makers of the drugs about whether the labels should contain a disclosure that in very rare cases, users had developed blindness.
"We take this seriously," Cruzan said.
The makers of Cialis, Eli Lilly & Co. and ICOS Corp., already have voluntarily added a single-line notice to that drug's label.
At issue is NAION, or non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, which causes sudden vision loss when blood flow to the optic nerve is blocked.
NAION is considered one of the most common causes of sudden vision loss in older Americans, and estimates suggest there are anywhere from 1,000 to 6,000 cases a year. Risk factors include diabetes and heart disease, two of the leading causes of impotence.
The routine NAION cases plus overlapping risk factors means it may be impossible for FDA to tease out whether the drugs really increase risk for this eye problem.
Viagra maker Pfizer Inc. says about 23 million men worldwide have taken Viagra since its approval in 1998.
After slumping more earlier in the day after news of the blindness cases, Pfizer shares closed down 55 US cents, or 1.9 per cent, at $28.35 US Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.
There is no proof that the drug caused the blindness, stressed Pfizer spokesman Daniel Watts.
But the possibility of a link was raised publicly earlier this year, when Dr. Howard Pomeranz of the University of Minnesota reported in an opthalomology journal seven patients who reported NAION vision loss occurring within 36 hours of a Viagra dose.
"A definite causal relationship cannot be established at this time, Pomeranz wrote.
Viagra and its competitors work by slightly dilating arteries so that blood flow in the penis increases. Whether it affects blood flow to the eye isn't known, but Pomeranz argued that some effect on the optic nerve is plausible.
So he urged that ophthalmologists asked NAION patients whether they use impotence drugs, and report any additional cases. Also, Viagra users who suffer NAION in one eye should be cautioned that continued use might raise the risk of vision loss in the other eye.
Baker said Health Canada will look into the issue "to determine what actions, if any, might be necessary to protect patients."
"If patients have any concerns about the drugs they're taking, they should consult their health professional," he said.
Viagra and its competitors are blockbusters that revolutionized treatment of erectile dysfunction, from a seldom-discussed problem to a $2 billion US market. But they already come with serious warnings: They're not to be used by men who take nitrate-containing drugs, because the interaction could cause deadly drops in blood pressure, or by men with heart conditions whose doctors have warned that sex itself could be too much exertion.
All three also warn about temporary vision changes, such as seeing bluish tinges or having difficulty distinguishing between green and blue. The drugs apparently have a temporary effect on the retina, a completely different issue than NAION's vision loss.
The FDA has been under increasing pressure to investigate reports about the safety of prescription drugs since Merck & Co. yanked its pain reliever Vioxx from the market last year because of its potentially lethal side effects.
Merck potentially faces thousands of lawsuits over Vioxx and analysts have estimated its liability may reach $18 billion US.
Viagra also is at the centre of controversy over Medicaid's payment for prescriptions of the drug to convicted sex offenders in New York and other states.
-
On the Web:
http://www.viagra.com/getTheMost/index.asp
http://www.fda.gov
27/05/2005 10:03:00 PM
--------------
WASHINGTON (CP) - U.S. federal health officials are investigating rare reports of blindness among some men using Viagra and other impotence drugs, but caution that this type of vision loss also is linked to the same illnesses that lead to impotence.
Federal health officials are examining rare reports of blindness among some men using the impotence drug Viagra. The Food and Drug Administration still is investigating, but has no evidence yet that the drug is to blame. (AP/Toby Talbot)
The questions about the impotence drugs come at a time when federal regulators and the drug industry are facing criticism about what they do to ensure the safety of drugs already on the market.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has 43 reports of varying degrees of vision loss, including blindness, among users of the drugs: 38 among Viagra users, four among Cialis users and one among Levitra users, said spokeswoman Susan Cruzan.
There have been no positively linked cases in Canada, a Health Canada spokesman said Friday.
However, Ryan Baker said Health Canada is in contact with Pfizer, which makes Viagra.
"There are currently no adverse reactions of blindness in Canada positively linked to this drug," Baker said.
"There were two cases of blindness reported since Jan. 1, 1999, in association with the use of Viagra but Health Canada assessed those reports and found no link could be established."
In the United States, the FDA is in discussions with the makers of the drugs about whether the labels should contain a disclosure that in very rare cases, users had developed blindness.
"We take this seriously," Cruzan said.
The makers of Cialis, Eli Lilly & Co. and ICOS Corp., already have voluntarily added a single-line notice to that drug's label.
At issue is NAION, or non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, which causes sudden vision loss when blood flow to the optic nerve is blocked.
NAION is considered one of the most common causes of sudden vision loss in older Americans, and estimates suggest there are anywhere from 1,000 to 6,000 cases a year. Risk factors include diabetes and heart disease, two of the leading causes of impotence.
The routine NAION cases plus overlapping risk factors means it may be impossible for FDA to tease out whether the drugs really increase risk for this eye problem.
Viagra maker Pfizer Inc. says about 23 million men worldwide have taken Viagra since its approval in 1998.
After slumping more earlier in the day after news of the blindness cases, Pfizer shares closed down 55 US cents, or 1.9 per cent, at $28.35 US Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.
There is no proof that the drug caused the blindness, stressed Pfizer spokesman Daniel Watts.
But the possibility of a link was raised publicly earlier this year, when Dr. Howard Pomeranz of the University of Minnesota reported in an opthalomology journal seven patients who reported NAION vision loss occurring within 36 hours of a Viagra dose.
"A definite causal relationship cannot be established at this time, Pomeranz wrote.
Viagra and its competitors work by slightly dilating arteries so that blood flow in the penis increases. Whether it affects blood flow to the eye isn't known, but Pomeranz argued that some effect on the optic nerve is plausible.
So he urged that ophthalmologists asked NAION patients whether they use impotence drugs, and report any additional cases. Also, Viagra users who suffer NAION in one eye should be cautioned that continued use might raise the risk of vision loss in the other eye.
Baker said Health Canada will look into the issue "to determine what actions, if any, might be necessary to protect patients."
"If patients have any concerns about the drugs they're taking, they should consult their health professional," he said.
Viagra and its competitors are blockbusters that revolutionized treatment of erectile dysfunction, from a seldom-discussed problem to a $2 billion US market. But they already come with serious warnings: They're not to be used by men who take nitrate-containing drugs, because the interaction could cause deadly drops in blood pressure, or by men with heart conditions whose doctors have warned that sex itself could be too much exertion.
All three also warn about temporary vision changes, such as seeing bluish tinges or having difficulty distinguishing between green and blue. The drugs apparently have a temporary effect on the retina, a completely different issue than NAION's vision loss.
The FDA has been under increasing pressure to investigate reports about the safety of prescription drugs since Merck & Co. yanked its pain reliever Vioxx from the market last year because of its potentially lethal side effects.
Merck potentially faces thousands of lawsuits over Vioxx and analysts have estimated its liability may reach $18 billion US.
Viagra also is at the centre of controversy over Medicaid's payment for prescriptions of the drug to convicted sex offenders in New York and other states.
-
On the Web:
http://www.viagra.com/getTheMost/index.asp
http://www.fda.gov
I sure hope that a solution is found for a clean water supply in Toronto! Water the one main thing we need to live. It really sux that the water in Toronto is so tainted that it causes major health problems.
It doesn't look as if they really know if Viarga was the cause of any blindness in those who take the drug. As far as giving it to sex offenders, I think that should be obvious! NO NO NO!
Countess
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It doesn't look as if they really know if Viarga was the cause of any blindness in those who take the drug. As far as giving it to sex offenders, I think that should be obvious! NO NO NO!
Countess
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