Medicine: Airplane Socks, HRT for Men, Pills and Juice
If a 13-hour flight leaves you with sore legs and swollen feet, heed this for future hauls.
A recent study presented at the U.S.-based Endocrine Society found that prostate cancer — the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men — is a concern for older men undergoing testosterone therapy. “Testosterone treatment stimulates the growth of an existing prostate cancer, but there is no evidence that it causes this type of cancer,” said lead author Dr. Aksam Yassin of the Clinic for Urology and Andrology of the Segeberger Clinics in Norderstedt, Germany. It was found that, regardless, the risk of both prostate cancer and testosterone deficiency increases with age. Therefore, he adds, it is possible that during testosterone replacement therapy, an older man may develop prostate cancer that is unrelated to the treatment.
Researchers recently found that subjects who took an antihistamine with grapefruit juice absorbed only half the drug, compared to those who took the pill with water. “Common juices like grapefruit, apple and orange juice can substantially impede the absorption of drugs into the body,” says David Bailey, professor of medicine, physiology and pharmacology at the University of Western Ontario in London. And he should know. Nearly 20 years ago, it was Bailey who discovered that grapefruit juice can boost the effects of some other drugs and actually cause toxic overdoses. So, when it’s time to pop that pill, good old H20 is the only way to go.