Archive for 'Food and Drug Administration'

The Human Papillomavirus HPV: More Common Than We Can Imagine and Deadly

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010 at 12:41 am  
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Human papillomavirus (HPV) is among the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the world. Experts estimate that up to 24 million Americans infected with HPV, and the occurrence of infection and disease seems to be escalating. More than 60 kinds of HPV have already been discovered by researchers.

Several forms of the virus cause typical skin warts.

About one-third of the HPV kinds are passed via and dwell only in genital tissue. Low-risk types of HPV produce genital warts, by far the most recognizable indication of genital HPV contamination. Other high-risk sorts of HPV cause cervical cancer along with other genital cancers.

Just like most sexually transmitted microorganisms, HPV usually results in a quiet infection, that is, without visible symptoms. One particular research sponsored through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) documented that almost half of the women infected with HPV had absolutely no obvious symptoms.

Because the viral infection persists, individuals may not be conscious of their illness or the the risk of transmitting to others as well as suffering complications. If you are unsure whether or not you have HPV, I strongly encourage you to get tested – especially if you have been promiscuous at any time in your life. This is very important for women who could develop cervical cancer if the HPV is not properly diagnosed and treated. Get check out!

Reprinted from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Tags: human papillomavirus hpv, Other high-risk sorts, genital warts, obvious symptoms, Food and Drug Administration

Hoodia Side Effects

Sunday, August 15th, 2010 at 9:34 am  
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Q: What are the side effects of hoodia, if any? Most articles I’ve read about hoodia say it’s a gentle and safe and I can’t seem to find any information about side effects anywhere.

Hoodia gordonii is often touted as a herbal diet pill without side effects, although there’s a lack of published studies on the safety of hoodia in humans.

Hoodia marketers often claim that hoodia has no side effects because the San Bushmen in the Kalahari desert of Africa have been using hoodia for thousands of years. But hoodia simply hasn’t been around for long enough in and it hasn’t been subjected to safety testing to uncover any possible side effects, drug interactions, and safety concerns.

Jasjit S. Bindra, PhD, former researcher for hoodia at Pfizer (the pharmaceutical giant that licensed the rights to develop hoodia for $21 million but later returned the rights), stated in a letter to The New York Times that although hoodia did appear to suppress appetite, there were indications of unwanted effects on the liver caused by components other than the active ingredient p57 that could not easily be removed during processing.

Bindra added, “Clearly, hoodia has a long way to go before it can earn approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Until safer formulations are developed, dieters should be wary of using it”.

If hoodia does affect liver function, it may also interact with other medications a person is taking. The San Bushmen are a tribe of hunter-gatherers, and probably did not take same pills for blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, depression, and other diseases, that we do, another reason why unconfirmed reports of safe use by the San should not be relied on.

People with diabetes should be cautious about using hoodia. One of the theories about how hoodia works is that it tricks the brain into thinking that it has enough blood sugar. Without proper feedback regulation, it’s possible that a person’s blood sugar could drop dangerously low while taking hoodia. And with the regular hunger mechanism turned off, the normal warning signs may be suppressed, until it’s too late.

Hoodia is believed to suppress not only appetite but thirst. There have been unconfirmed reports of shepherds in Africa who took hoodia to take the edge off hunger pains, but died of dehydration because they didn’t feel thirsty.

And as a general precaution, because the safety in pregnant or nursing women, children, or people with liver or hasn’t been established, these people in particular should avoid hoodia.

More: Sources
Bindra, Jasjit. “A Popular Pill’s Hidden Danger”. New York Times. 26 Apr 2005.

Morris, Joan. “Little research behind claims that hoodia is safe, effective for losing weight”. Seattle Times. 9 Mar 2006.

Tags: North America, active ingredient, researcher for hoodia, Weight loss, liver function

5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan)

Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 1:31 pm  
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5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) is a compound produced in the body from the amino acid tryptophan. It is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin and the hormone melatonin.

5-HTP supplements have become popular because it is thought that providing the body with 5-HTP in pill form can boost the body’s serotonin levels, similar to the antidepressants that are thought to increase the amount of serotonin available to the brain.

5-HTP is manufactured from the seeds of an African plant, Griffonia simplicifolia. It is found in , online, and at some drug stores. Depression
Anxiety
Insomnia
Fibromyalgia
Migraine
Weight Loss5-HTP is most commonly used for depression. Because it is thought to work like serotonin antidepressants, 5-HTP has also been used for other conditions for which these antidepressants are prescribed, such as anxiety, insomnia, fibromyalgia, and migraine. Depression
Several small clinical trials have found that 5-HTP is as effective as antidepressants. For example, in a six week clinical trial, 63 people were given either 5-HTP (100 mg three times a day) or an antidepressant (fluvoxamine, 50 mg three times a day). The 5-HTP was found to be as effective as the antidepressant, with fewer side effects.

However, a 2002 systematic review of studies published between 1966 to 2000 found that only one out of 108 studies met the quality standards.

The small study that did meet the quality criteria found that 5-HTP worked better than placebo at alleviating depression.

Migraine
Some research indicates that 5-HTP may prevent migraines and reduce the frequency and severity of migraines, however large randomized controlled trials are needed.

In one study, 124 people were given 5-HTP (600 mg/day) or the drug methysergide. After 6 months, 5-HTP was found to be as effective as methysergide in reducing the severity and duration of migraines.

Another study looked at 5-HTP or the drug propranolol for 4 months. Both treatments resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the frequency of migraines. However, the propranolol group fared better, with a reduction in the duration of episodes and the number of analgesics used for the treatment of episodes.

Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by fatigue, widespread pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons, and multiple tender points.

A double-blind, placebo controlled study looked at 5-HTP or placebo in 50 people with fibromyalgia. After four weeks, there was improvement in pain, stiffness, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep. Side effects were mild and transient.

Insomnia
Serotonin is converted into melatonin, a hormone need to regulate sleep-wake cycles. Because 5-HTP is thought to increase serotonin levels, it may increase melatonin and help normalize sleep patterns.Potential side effects of 5-HTP include nausea, dizziness, and diarrhea. Rarely, allergic reaction to the supplement may occur.

The safety of 5-HTP in pregnant or nursing women and people with liver or has not been established.

Children with Down’s syndrome should not take 5-HTP.

Peak X
In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported having detected a chemical compound known as “peak x” in some 5-HTP products. Peak x had been previously associated with the supplement tryptophan, which is made into 5-HTP in the body.

Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome
Tryptophan was taken off the market when thousands of people developed a severe blood disorder called Eosinophilia – Myalgia Syndrome (EMS). The cause was later traced to a contaminant found only in batches of tryptophan manufactured by one Japanese company, Showa Denko.

Showa Denko, the source of up to 60% of all the tryptophan sold in the , had used an untested manufacturing process that reduced the amount of activated charcoal used to filter fermented raw tryptophan. Some reports suggest that purity may be a potential problem for 5-HTP as well. No cases of EMS resulting from 5-HTP use have been reported, however.

This is a drugs that may interact with 5-HTP supplements.

Sources
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Caruso I, Sarzi Puttini P, Cazzola M, Azzolini V. Double-blind study of 5-hydroxytryptophan versus placebo in the treatment of primary fibromyalgia syndrome. J Int Med Res. (1990) 18 (3): 201-209.

Poldinger W, Calanchini B, Schwarz W. A functional-dimensional approach to depression: serotonin deficiency as a target syndrome in a comparison of 5-hydroxytryptophan and fluvoxamine. Psychopathology. (1991) 24 (2): 53-81.

Shaw K, Turner J, Del Mar C. Tryptophan and 5-Hydroxytryptophan for depression (Cochrane Review). The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2002, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD003198. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD003198

Titus F, Davalos A, Alom J, et al. 5-hydroxytryptophan versus methysergide in the prophylaxis of migraine. Randomized clinical trial. Eur Neurol. 1986;25:327–329

Tags: United States, Showa Denko, randomized controlled trials, Eosinophilia - Myalgia Syndrome, amino acid

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