It can be discouraging if health problems have begun to take a toll on your love life. Some doctors suggest popular sexual enhancement drugs to help boost male libido.
Unfortunately, there are a number of products claiming to be all natural that dont adhere to proper manufacturing standards. This is what has prompted the Food and Drug Administrations recent recall of one erectile dysfunction (ED) drug.
Find out which ED drug you may need to toss which vegetables are causing a scare and why an early prostate screening may be to your advantage
Youll find all this and MORE in todays Thursday Edition of Health News Weekly!
FDA Requests Recall of Erectile Dysfunction Drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered a recall of certain lots of Xiadafil VIP Tabs, a dietary supplement illegally marketed for sexual enhancement and erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment.
The agency has requested that SEI Pharmaceuticals, of Miami, Fla., recall all Xiadafil VIP Tabs sold in eight tablet bottles (Lot # 6K029) or blister cards of two tablets (Lot # 6K029-SEI). These lots of Xiadafil VIP Tabs bear an expiration date of September 2009.
According to a May 27 FDA press release, these products contain a potentially harmful, undeclared ingredient that may dangerously affect a persons blood pressure and cause other life-threatening side effects.
The FDA is advising consumers not to buy or use this product. The agency may take further regulatory action to protect consumers from this illegal product.
Although labeled as a dietary supplement and touted as all natural, Xiadafil VIP Tabs contain hydroxyhomosildenafilwhich is similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in the FDA-approved drug Viagra®.
FDA officials said this undeclared ingredient may interact with nitrates in some prescription drugs (such as nitroglycerin) and can lower blood pressure to life-threatening levels. Men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease often take nitrates. ED is a common problem in men with these medical conditions.
Because these products are labeled as all-natural, dietary supplements, consumers may assume that they are harmless and pose no health risk, said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. But an unsuspecting consumer with underlying medical issues may take these products without knowing that they can cause serious side effects and interact in dangerous ways with drugs that a consumer is already taking.
The FDA advises consumers who have used this product to STOP using the drug immediately. You should consult a health care professional if you experience any side effects that may be related to the use of this product.
Fast Fact
It might surprise you to know that green vegetables contain more calcium than milk! Your body absorbs the calcium in green vegetables at a rate of 50 percentcompared to 32 percent for milk-based sources. So, be sure to load up on broccoli and Brussels sprouts to help build your bones of steel!
FDA Steps Up Efforts to Manage
Salmonella Outbreak
Have you found yourself saying no lately to salsa and chips at your favorite Mexican restaurant? Or have you been skipping Italian meals fearing the tomato sauce could make it your LAST meal?
If so, you are like many Americans concerned about news reports of Salmonella-infected tomato crops. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website warns that not only raw tomatoesbut also jalape?o peppers and fresh cilantro may be causing some of the illness.
According to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consumer notice, the agency first issued warnings in mid-April 2008 concerning several nationwide cases of people becoming sickand even being hospitalizedbecause of salmonellosis poisoning.
Since the initial report, the confirmed cases have risen to more than 1,000 in 41 states, the District of Columbia and Canada! The majority of the incidents occurred in Texas, New Mexico and other western states.
In a July 9, 2008 FDA media briefing, Dr. Robert Tauxe, Deputy Director of the CDCs Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, said this ongoing outbreak is now one of the largest outbreaks of salmonellosis ever in the U.S.
Salmonella bacteria live in the intestines of some animals and birds. The bacteria can also infect the soil and water used to grow foods.
Investigators have identified the Salmonella Saintpaul strain as the source of the latest outbreak of illness. Salmonella bacteria are contagiousand can spread very quickly from one surface to another.
You could become infected by consuming foods contaminated with animal fecesor by having contact with infected people, animals and reptiles.
And if youre infectedyou can experience diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps within 12 to 72 hours after infection. These uncomfortable symptoms can last for a week or more!
Severe cases of Salmonella can spread from your intestines into your bloodstreamand can even kill you! Those most at risk for serious complications are babies, older people and those with delicate immune systems.
The FDA is warning consumers to avoid eating raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes from many states still under investigation.
However, the agency has cleared tomatoes from several states as safe to eat. You can access a list of the approved states at:
If you are unsure about the origin of the tomatoes already in your fridge contact the store to determine where they were grown. And if you still feel uneasy, you can always throw them outor grow your own!
In fact, be sure to check for local, organic fruit and vegetable stands in your city or town. The FDA has said that no homegrown vegetables are at risk!
Health E-Hints
Is It Time to Check Your Prostate?
Doctors traditionally advised men to get their first annual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test at age 50. But new evidence published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests its better to have the first test at age 40.
Researchers say the initial test should be followed by another PSA test at age 45then every other year starting at age 50. Experts believe this screening schedule could save lives by spotting tumors while theyre still small and confined to the prostate gland.