European Sexual Privity to Campaigns 2008 “Sexual Health: Do Us Care Europeans?”

You knew that general problems of health can be bound your sexual by life? The Diabetes, depression and hypertension - simply some of them. All last data prove that sound sexual life can indicate general well-being. And we want to find more? We consider this as one of our problems? The European Sexual Alliance to Dysfunctions (ESDA) wants to remind all importances of sexual pharmacy health as a part of the general health and show that as alliance we have simply found!

That - ESDA?

ESDA - an organization of the umbrella for help-lines of support of the patient through Europe. These organizations exist to provide the sufferer and their partner with information and be supported on questions of sexual health through telephone help-line, email and post. They have national websites and sheets of the fact in other sexual problem in the other languages and these can be sent causing operator, which require them gratis.

ESDA HELD the campaign to privity around St. The Day Valentine’s with 2003 for the reason attract attention to sexual problem of health of the many mans and womans in Europe. The Event is supported by European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM) and is solved on or around 14-go February in all participation of the countries simultaneously.

This year of all country, participating in this alliance through their national centres, we want to select importance of the consulting sexual problems with supplier of the public health as in many events of these difficulties can be a first sign of the serious main condition of health, which will go undetected and undiagnosed.

Presenting Our European Data

The Last given from simply some lines of the help ESDA shows simply as the general these problems really. THE LINES of the help ESDA in France, Greeces, VELIKOBR., Spain and Sweden got in the general difficulty 11.000 call during past of the year. Most big amount call was received in country with more high number of the population certainly. In France only, over 4500 people searched for the help, as well as in VELIKOBR. including over 3000 telephone calls.

The Men or Women(woman)?

The Men can. Possible this - a reason that for the whole continent, men asked the helps with national help-lines, no material if they live in Sredizemnomorskom or in northward Europe. In France male causing operator presented 92, 6, in Swedens 71%, in Spain 93%, in Greeces 88.5% and on VELIKOBR. 75% all call were from mans.

Has requesting for sexual health to be satisfied with the age?

The Age causing operator varied from 16 before 87 years since average age 48 in VELIKOBR., 50 in France, 43 in Greeces and 46 in Spain. The Majority causing operator were on stable relationship: 45% in Greeces, 82% in France and 87% in Spain.

But what Evropeycy do for their sexual health?

Unfortunately, very few! Most interestingly majority causing operator in all national centres, both male and female never addressed to professional of health about their sexual problem: 75% male causing operator in Swedens, 70% in Greeces, 64% in France and 55% in Spain. In the event of womans, still much did not try to find the specialist to address for sexual questions: 55% in Swedens, 60 in Greeces, 64% in Spain, and 71% in France never addressed to their problem. This particularly wonders when You see for time beside them was a problem. The sexual dysfunction damaged In France of the mans for 3 years at the average count;calculate;list before talk helpline and womans exact over 3 years since in Greece and Spain man were expected over 4 years and womans in Spain nearly 5 years before talk to help.

What Evropeycy report comparatively their sexual life on help-line?

For type of the sexual problem addressed to given ESDA shows this in all man of the countries caused originally to erectile dysfunctions (RED.), 75% in France, 72% in Greeces, 65% in Spain, 55% in Swedens and 58% in VELIKOBR.. But in era medicine, trying to help the people with ED., still there is problem with premature ejaculation: the second most turning man to problem, causing line of the help, with 19% in Greeces, 25% VELIKOBR., 12% in Spain and 10% in Swedens. What about women(woman)? All call got in Greeces, 11.5% were from womans. In their event, most general problem was reduced sexual interest and desire: 30% in Swedens, 45% in Greeces, 37% in France and 50% in VELIKOBR.. And as it is expected that their second most general registered dysfunction was orgasmic dysfunction, 36% in Greeces, beside 11% in Swedens and France and 8% in Spain.

Sexual health: referred to the general health of the mans?

Some the most interesting data appears when one looks at disease of the concomitant: In Greeces aproximately 20% mans had heartily-сосудистую disease, accompanied 11% diabetes and 3% prostate. In Spain nearly 31% mans has accompanied the cardiovascular disease a problem 16% prostates and 15% diabetes mellitus. In VELIKOBR. however 12% male causing operator presented they damaged from depression/enxiety and 10% had a diabetes. Data from Sweden show that 6% mans, who were caused helpline had heartily-сосудистую disease, 6% had a psychiatric disease and 4% diabetes of the concomitant. In France 20% had heartily-сосудистые problems, 12% had a diabetes and as for problems of the prostate, 7.4%.

What about, the main conditions gave the woman, causing help-line?

There were little important differences visible in other European country. Under presenting national data, which he was discovered that in Spain and Greece psychiatric/psychological problem were issued 14% and 11% causing operator of the womans accordingly. In Swedens, most general bound problems were gastrointestinal 8%, 6% osteoporosis and 4% heartily-сосудистая disease. Most general medical problem issued woman in Francium was cardiovascular (17%) accompanied psychiatric/psychological problem (25%), 13% lifestyle and 10% diabetes.

ESDA PROVIDES the sufferer, their partners and general public with information on their problem and leads them on way in finding the decision. We also offer support and reassurance. The Men and women(woman) can cause helpline anonymously in their country and telephone consultant will go into a problem with them in natural and relaxed way and assists him to address to their doctor. They can be certain they - not only: studies of the spreading show that, sexual problems of health very general, - often ignored to lead to negative influence as person to lifes, its personal relationship and their self-respects. Additionally, it is important for public to know that they - often first sign important undiagnosed problems heath such as, diabetes, hypertension, depression and others, buy tadalis sx.

The Visit doctor to go into a problem critical as the first step in reception of the estimation of the right, test, processing and continues. We also should like to select these any medication gained on Internet without corresponding to warranties and taken without medical checking can be dangerous and must be invalidated in interest of safety.

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Sexual health charity Terrence Higgins

On 22nd February at 12.30pm HIV & sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), will be officially opening its new centre in Birkenhead which will serve the whole of the Wirral.
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The opening will be attended by celebrity supporter Claire Sweeney, the Mayor of Wirral, Councillor Phil Gilchrist and the Chairman of Wirral Primary Care Trust, Frances Street. It will be an opportunity for clients, partner agencies and other interested parties to meet THT staff and members of the Executive Team to discuss plans for services in the area.

The new office, funded by Wirral Primary Care Trust will provide a range of services:

- Health promotion outreach work focused on preventing HIV from being passed on
- Support groups and health advice for people affected by HIV and sexual ill health
- One to one support
- General information on sexually transmitted infections
- Condoms and safer sex information
- Counselling
- Raising sexual health awareness through training and education

Representatives from the NHS and social services, other voluntary organisations, THT volunteers and staff will all be attending the open day.

Ewan Jenkins, Manager of the new office said “We’re delighted to be opening an office here in the Wirral. We’re looking forward to working with other organisations in the region to increase awareness of sexual health and support people who are living with HIV in the area.”
- There were 492 new diagnoses of HIV in the North West in 2006. 4,512 people were accessing HIV care services in the region. Approximately a third of people with HIV in the North West remain undiagnosed.
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- Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, providing a wide range of services across England, Wales and Scotland. The charity also campaigns and lobbies for greater political and public understanding of the personal, social and medical impact of HIV and sexual health.

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New York City Health

New York City health officials on Wednesday unveiled the city’s new official condom as part of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s efforts to curb the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, as well as to prevent unintended pregnancies.
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The health department in January 2007 approved a $1.57 million contract to deliver Ansell Healthcare’s Lifestyle condoms and packets of lubricant to organizations and venues in the city. The health department will pay Ansell four cents per condom, putting the cost of the program at about $720,000 annually, according to health officials. Officials plan to track the progress of the program through an annual community health survey, which polls 10,000 city residents by telephone. Organizations or venues can request an unlimited supply of condoms at no cost through an online ordering system set up by the health department.

City health officials in February 2007 unveiled the first official condom, which featured a subway theme with different colors for various train lines (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 5/9/07). The new condoms — which were redesigned by Yves Behar of the San Francisco-based agency fuseproject — features the letters “NYC” in black and the word “CONDOM” directly below it in bright colors. The condom packages also feature the new slogan “Get some,” the New York Post reports (Edozien, New York Post, 2/14). According to the AP/Google.com, teams from the health department will begin distributing the condoms around the city Thursday. An ad campaign featuring the new slogan is also scheduled to launch soon on television, radio, subways and buses.

“We want to give away as many condoms as people will use because we’re trying to make New York City an even safer place to have sex, and this is a powerful way to do it,” Monica Sweeney, assistant commissioner for HIV prevention and control at the health department, said. She added, “We gave out more than 36 million of [the condoms] last year. I hope the fresh look will help even more New Yorkers protect themselves from infection and unintended pregnancy in 2008″ (New York Post, 2/14).

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Leading Sexual Health Charity

Julie Bentley has now taken her position as fpa’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Julie was formerly CEO of personal safety charity The Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

Her professional background as a qualified counsellor includes working with some of the most vulnerable groups in society including marginalised young people and those coping with drug and alcohol addiction. Fifteen years experience of working in the voluntary sector and a strong business sense has seen her leading organisations and developing their corporate identity with tenacity and vision.

Discussing her new role, Julie says:

“fpa has an incredibly strong tradition. It’s firmly rooted in British history and culture, but is never afraid to break boundaries and be at the cutting edge fighting for people’s sexual health rights. I am thoroughly looking forward to leading fpa and working with all the staff and trustees to continue its successes.”

More information about Julie can be found at fpa’s website http://www.VeroMaxx.com where visitors can read The Quick Interview. Here Julie talks candidly and answers some of the top questions asked of a new CEO at the start of their tenure with one of the country’s leading sexual health charities.

(Family Planning Association) is the only registered charity working to improve the sexual health and reproductive rights of all people throughout the UK.
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Health Services: Patients And Medical Doctors Call For EU Action

Patients and medical doctors decided to unite their voices and are calling for an EU directive on health services. Therefore they have sent the following letter to all parties involved:

EPF and CPME: a Health services Directive is needed

The European Patients’ Forum (EPF) and the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) would like to reiterate their position to the still awaited health services directive.

We support the free movement of patients and health professionals within the EU.

High quality of care and free movement of patients and professionals are intertwined topics that should all be addressed within a Community framework.

Patients should have the right to receive safe and high-quality care all over the Union, and to have the fullest information in order to make informed choices.

We know that patients prefer to be treated as close as possible to their home and family, where they can easily communicate without language problems. However, when necessary or by choice, they must be able to receive care abroad and their rights and the quality of their treatment must not be compromised.

Health services have specific characteristics that should be recognised and protected. As they deal with citizens’ lives and well-being, health services need stricter controls and regulation than most other services. It is essential that Member States take responsibility for guaranteeing the quality and equal availability of healthcare for their citizens in all circumstances.

Patients’ rights should be enshrined in a legal text in order to ensure legal certainty based on existing European Court of Justice rulings.

We will continue to cooperate actively to the next steps of this Community action which is urgently needed in the interest of the patients. Therefore, EPF and CPME call the European Commission to publish a draft proposal for a Directive on health services.

The European Patients’ Forum (EPF) was founded in 2003 to become the collective patients’ voice at EU level, manifesting the solidarity, power and unity of EU patients’ movement. EPF currently represents 27 member organizations - which are chronic disease specific patient organizations operating at European level, and national coalitions of patients organizations. EPF’s vision for the future is patient-centred, equitable healthcare throughout the European Union.

The Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) is the representative body of about 2 million physicians in Europe.

Its aims are:

– to promote the highest standards of medical training and medical practice, through advocating:
- public health,
- the relationship between patients and doctors
- the free movement of doctors and patients within the European Union

– to achieve the highest quality of health care in Europe.

It is composed of the most representative non-governmental national medical organisations in EU/EEA countries, that is to say 30 National Medical Associations. It also unites associated members, observers and associated organisations (specialised European medical organisations).

How Parents Can Bridge Societal Challenges When Raising Teens

Parenting philosophies come and go, but old-fashioned values are still the best, says Binghamton University nursing professor in two new books on raising adolescents.

“Kids are not just small adults,” Associate Professor Mary Muscari said. “That’s my mantra. Even teenagers don’t think like adults. They don’t have that ability, those experiences.”

In the latest books, Everything Parents Guide to Raising Adolescent Girls (with lead author Moira McCarthy), and Everything Parents Guide to Raising Adolescent Boys (with lead author Robin Elise Weiss), Muscari notes that although the general issues of parenting don’t change so much, new trends in society can create added challenges.

“For instance, more families today have two working parents, which can make it difficult to spend time together. Muscari said it’s critical to find time - and quantity counts along with quality.”

“All the toys in the world will never make up for parental time,” she said. “When the job takes priority, kids see that. And that’s a really bad place to be as a kid.”

Still, Muscari acknowledges that some ideas must be modernized a bit.

“The good, old-fashioned family meal that we’ve long forgotten about is so critical,” she said. “If you can’t do it at night because the kids are overscheduled, do it at breakfast. Have some time when people can sit down and share and connect.”

This connection will pay off in the long term, Muscari said. When parents and children communicate well and regularly, kids are less inclined to hide their problems. If your child tells you when something goes wrong, you can get involved before a situation escalates. Communication can help keep kids safe in other ways, too, because gangs and predators don’t want a child who runs to his parents for help.

Muscari said she often discusses safety concerns with parents. It’s true that children now are more exposed to the world outside their neighborhood, she said, but fear itself can be a threat to kids.

“We can’t make these kids bubble kids, even though we have all these things that we worry about,” she said. The bottom line, she said, is that parents need to be parents.

“I’m very dead against that parents as pals business,” Muscari said. “Parents are there to be guides for their children.”

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Both books are published by Adams Media Corporation.

About Mary Muscari:

Muscari is an associate professor in the Decker School of Nursing at Binghamton University. An expert in child health, mental health, and forensics. Muscari has more than thirty years of experience working with children and teens. She has written or coauthored more than 100 publications, including Not My Kid: 21 Steps to Raising a Nonviolent Child, Not My Kid 2: Protecting Your Children from the 21 Threats of the 21st Century, and Let Kids be Kids: Rescuing Childhood. She has conducted a number of parenting workshops around the country on topics such as keeping kids safe from predators (’live’ and on the Web), bullying, and how to raise nonviolent kids.

Medicare Prescription Drug

Continuing a solid record of strong competition and wise beneficiary choice, the projected cost of providing Medicare beneficiaries with a prescription drug benefit through private health plans has come down again, according to FY 2009 budget documents that will be released next week.

The overall projected cost of the drug benefit is $117 billion lower over the next ten years than was estimated last summer due to the slowing of drug cost trends, lower estimates of plan spending and higher rebates from drug manufacturers. Compared to original Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) projections, the net Medicare cost of the new drug benefit is $243.7 billion (or 38.5 percent) lower over the ten- year period (2004-2013) used to score the MMA.

Moreover, following the third open enrollment season for the prescription drug program, there are 1.5 million more enrollees in Part D, bringing the total number of beneficiaries enrolled in Part D to 25.4 million. The total number of Medicare beneficiaries with drug coverage is now about 39.5 million. In addition, seniors enrolled in the prescription drug program are extremely satisfied. Recent independent surveys indicate that beneficiaries’ satisfaction with the Part D benefit is at more than 85 percent.

“As we enter the third year, Medicare’s prescription drug benefit is proving a resounding success,” said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. “Enrollment continues to rise, customer satisfaction remains very high, and costs for beneficiaries and taxpayers are considerably lower than original projections.”

Noting the enrollment of 250,000 additional beneficiaries who are eligible for extra help through the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program, Kerry Weems, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) noted, “Medicare’s Part D prescription drug program is becoming a stable and familiar part of the nation’s health care landscape. At the same time, we remain committed to finding and enrolling people eligible for the low income subsidy and will continue to work with partners throughout 2008 to encourage eligible beneficiaries to apply for the subsidy. Moreover, LIS eligible beneficiaries can enroll in a Medicare drug plan at any time throughout the year and not wait until the next open enrollment period, nor incur a late enrollment penalty.”

Tracking surveys that CMS conducted in January on Medicare’s outreach activities and further development of the Agency’s plan compare tools indicated these efforts were successful. Results from the survey indicate that 85 percent of people with Medicare were aware of the open enrollment period and over two-thirds reviewed their current plan for cost and coverage changes.

1-800-MEDICARE received over 4 million calls during the Nov 15″ Dec 31, 2007, open enrollment period, an 11 percent increase from the comparable period in 2006. At the same time, online enrollments totaled more than half a million enrollments, a 49 percent increase over the number who enrolled online during the fall 2006.

“People with Medicare are increasingly knowledgeable about the prescription drug benefit, and they used the information and resources provided by CMS to compare the available plans,” Weems said. “As informed consumers, many beneficiaries decided to remain with their current plan, but others took this opportunity to enroll in a different plan that, in their judgment, better meets their needs in 2008.”

CMS’ data indicate that in 2008 about 3.1 million Part D enrollees, or 12 percent, changed plans. Of those who changed, 2.1 million were beneficiaries receiving the low-income subsidy (LIS) who were reassigned so they would not have to pay a premium. About six percent of all non-LIS beneficiaries who are enrolled in Part D made a change, a level that is consistent with changes made during health coverage open enrollment periods in the private sector.

Overall, about 90 percent of the nation’s 44 million Medicare beneficiaries have drug coverage from Medicare or another source. Approximately 25.4 million are enrolled in Part D; 6.6 million retirees are enrolled in employer or union-sponsored retiree drug coverage that receives the Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS); and 7.5 million are receiving drug coverage from other alternative creditable sources such as TRICARE; the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; the Department of Veterans’ Affairs or from their current employers.
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Reward Regions Of Brain Activate

Allan Reiss, MD, and his colleagues have a pretty good idea why your husband or boyfriend can’t put down the Halo 3. In a first-of-its-kind imaging study, the Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have shown that the part of the brain that generates rewarding feelings is more activated in men than women during video-game play.

“These gender differences may help explain why males are more attracted to, and more likely to become ‘hooked’ on video games than females,” the researchers wrote in their paper, which was recently published online in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

More than 230 million video and computer games were sold in 2005, and polls show that 40 percent of Americans play games on a computer or a console. According to a 2007 Harris Interactive survey, young males are two to three times more likely than females to feel addicted to video games, such as the Halo series so popular in recent years.

Despite the popularity of video and computer games, little is known about the neural processes that occur as people play these games. And no research had been done on gender-specific differences in the brain’s response to video games.

Reiss, senior author of the study and the Howard C. Robbins Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, has long been interested in studying gender differences; in 2005, he published a study showing that men and women process humor differently. He and his colleagues became interested in exploring the concept of territoriality, and they determined the best way to do so was with a simple computer game.

The researchers designed a game involving a vertical line (the “wall”) in the middle of a computer screen. When the game begins, 10 balls appear to the right of the wall and travel left toward the wall. Each time a ball is clicked, it disappears from the screen. If the balls are kept a certain distance from the wall, the wall moves to the right and the player gains territory, or space, on the screen. If a ball hits the wall before it’s clicked, the line moves to the left and the player loses territory on the screen.

During this study, 22 young adults (11 men and 11 women) played numerous 24-second intervals of the game while being hooked up to a functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, machine. fMRI is designed to produce a dynamic image showing which parts of the brain are working during a given activity.

Study participants were instructed to click as many balls as possible; they weren’t told that they could gain or lose territory depending on what they did with the balls. Reiss said all participants quickly learned the point of the game, and the male and female participants wound up clicking on the same number of balls. The men, however, wound up gaining a significantly greater amount of space than the women. That’s because the men identified which balls - the ones closest to the “wall” - would help them acquire the most space if clicked.

“The females ‘got’ the game, and they moved the wall in the direction you would expect,” said Reiss, who is director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research. “They appeared motivated to succeed at the game. The males were just a lot more motivated to succeed.”

After analyzing the imaging data for the entire group, the researchers found that the participants showed activation in the brain’s mesocorticolimbic center, the region typically associated with reward and addiction. Male brains, however, showed much greater activation, and the amount of activation was correlated with how much territory they gained. (This wasn’t the case with women.) Three structures within the reward circuit - the nucleus accumbens, amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex - were also shown to influence each other much more in men than in women. And the better connected this circuit was, the better males performed in the game.

The findings indicate, the researchers said, that successfully acquiring territory in a computer game format is more rewarding for men than for women. And Reiss, for one, isn’t surprised. “I think it’s fair to say that males tend to be more intrinsically territorial,” he said. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who historically are the conquerors and tyrants of our species-they’re the males.”

Reiss said this research also suggests that males have neural circuitry that makes them more liable than women to feel rewarded by a computer game with a territorial component and then more motivated to continue game-playing behavior. Based on this, he said, it makes sense that males are more prone to getting hooked on video games than females.

“Most of the computer games that are really popular with males are territory- and aggression-type games,” he pointed out.

Reiss said the team’s findings may apply to other types of video and computer games. “This is a fairly representative, generic computer game,” he said, adding that he and his colleagues are planning further work in this area.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Fumiko Hoeft, MD, PhD, senior research scientist, was first author of the study. Co-authors include Christa Watson, social science research assistant; Shelli Kesler, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and Keith Bettinger, software developer.

Stanford University Medical Center integrates research, medical education and patient care at its three institutions - Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. For more information, please visit the Web site of the medical center’s Office of Communication & Public Affairs at http://blog.onlinepharmacyscout.com/

Sex Education Teachers Untrained

About 30% of sex education teachers in Illinois have not been trained to teach the subject, compared with 18% nationwide, according to a study published in the February issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, the AP/Peoria Journal Star reports (AP/Peoria Journal Star, 1/31).

For the study — commissioned by the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and Planned Parenthood Chicago Area — Stacy Tessler Lindau, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago Medical Center, and colleagues surveyed 335 sex education teachers at 201 public middle and high schools in Illinois (Banchero, Chicago Tribune, 1/31). According to the study, 97% of the teachers discussed HIV/AIDS in sex education lessons, 96% discussed sexually transmitted infections and 89% discussed abstinence until marriage. Among the teachers who discussed abstinence, 57% said abstinence was the “best alternative” to sexual activity, 39% said it was the “only alternative” and 4% said it was “one alternative” (AP/Peoria Journal Star, 1/31).

The least-discussed topics in sex education classes were emergency contraception at 31%, sexual orientation at 33%, condom use at 34% and abortion at 39%, the study found (AP/Peoria Journal Star, 1/31). The study noted that about two-thirds of high school seniors are sexually active but that many have not received education about birth control, how to obtain contraceptives or how to use condoms. About 68% of the teachers surveyed said they discussed birth control (Chicago Tribune, 1/31).

According to the study, 93% of public schools in the state offered sex education. Illinois public schools are not required to discuss most sex education topics, but elementary and secondary schools are required to discuss abstinence until marriage, and disease prevention and control, Matt Vanover, spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Education, said (AP/Peoria Journal Star, 1/31).

Conclusions

The study concluded that federal funding for abstinence-only sex education under the Bush administration is partly responsible for the study’s findings. Lindau said researchers are concerned that “such restrictive approaches leave students unprepared to prevent pregnancy” or STIs (Chicago Tribune, 1/31). She added that abstinence is an “important” part of sex education lessons but that it is “not sufficient for the kinds of decisions young people are faced with in regards to sexuality” (AP/Peoria Journal Star, 1/31).

The study’s authors said that physicians should teach sex education classes to ensure youth receive accurate information. “Doctors need to be proactive and initiate discussion about sexuality with adolescents and their parents,” Lindau said, adding, “Accurate knowledge is power” (Chicago Tribune, 1/31).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://blog.health4today.com. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

Prostate Cancer Not Linked To Sex Hormones

According to a pooled analysis of 18 prior studies, sex hormones in the bloodstream appear not to be linked to prostate cancer risk. The researchers found no association between circulating levels of different forms of testosterone or estrogen and prostate cancer risk.

The analysis is published in a new study in the 29th January issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and was conducted by Dr Andrew Roddam of the University of Oxford, England, UK and colleagues at the Endogenous Hormones and Prostate Cancer Collaborative Group.

There have been nearly two dozen studies on the link between circulating levels of androgens or sex hormones, and the risk of prostate cancer, but on the whole the results are inconsistent, said the researchers.

Roddam and colleagues analyzed pooled results from 18 studies that between them covered existing worldwide epidemiologic data about the relationship between serum (blood) levels of sex hormones and prostate cancer. The data included 3,886 men who had prostate cancer and 6,438 men who did not (controls).

The results showed:
No links between risk of prostate cancer and serum levels of testosterone, calculated free testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androstenedione, androstanediol glucuronide, estradiol, or calculated free estradiol.

Serum levels of sex hormone-binding globulin were “modestly inversely associated with prostate cancer risk”.

There was no statistical evidence of heterogeneity among the studies and adjustment for potential confounders made little significant difference to the results (both of which strengthen the case for the findings of this study).
The researchers concluded that:

“In this collaborative analysis of the worldwide data on endogenous hormones and prostate cancer risk, serum concentrations of sex hormones were not associated with the risk of prostate cancer.”

The potential limitations of the study were listed as: inadvertent bias from the long time it takes for prostate cancer to manifest (some controls could have had it without knowing), different laboratory methods used to measure serum hormone levels, and the fact only one serum sample was taken per subject.

In an editorial accompanying the study, Dr Paul Godley and colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US, praised the collaborative effort of the researchers and said these results should now help to shift the focus of prostate cancer research:

“The study obliges the scientific community to move past a seductive, clinically relevant, and biologically plausible hypothesis and get on with the difficult task of exploring, analyzing, and characterizing modifiable risk factors for prostate cancer,” they wrote.

Prostate cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with around 680,000 new cases a year (2002 figures). In the US there were an estimated 218,890 new cases last year, and 27,050 deaths.