<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>The Path To Healthy Living</title>
	<atom:link href="http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com</link>
	<description>Useful Health info and interesting meds articles</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:03:23 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Buy Celexa for effective treatment of depression</title>
		<link>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/buy-celexa-for-effective-treatment-of-depression/</link>
		<comments>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/buy-celexa-for-effective-treatment-of-depression/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:03:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Celexa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/?p=22</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are a patient of depression, obsessive compulsive disorder or panic disorder then you should buy Celexa either online or wholesale. Celexa is known to treat chronic cases of depression. It belongs to the serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The action of this drug is effective and simple owing to which a large number of people [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you are a patient of depression, obsessive compulsive disorder or panic disorder then you should buy Celexa either online or wholesale. Celexa is known to treat chronic cases of depression. It belongs to the serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The action of this drug is effective and simple owing to which a large number of people buy Celexa as it acts on the chemicals of our brain that are unbalanced and hence are the root cause of depression. Celexa helps the patient of depression to get rid of this troublesome disease.</p>
<p>Before you buy Celexa, you should first consult your doctor on whether you can take it or not. There are several evidences which have made it apparent that Celexa is a valuable treatment for the patients of depression and safe to use. You can buy Celexa online and would be delighted to know that it has various advantages and real effective tool to fight depression.<br />
<span id="more-22"></span><br />
There is one of the biggest advantages of using Celexa without prescription is that they have perfect compatibility with antihistamines, antihypertensive medications, analgesics etc. Celexa is helpful in treating innumerable disorders and considered as a safe and effective drug in treating any kind of depression.</p>
<p>If you plan to <a href="http://www.buycelexaonline.net" title="Buy Celexa">buy Celexa</a> wholesale then it is better to place your order online. When you book order online make sure that you do so through trustworthy Internet pharmacies and seek the service of approved medical supplier of internet repute so that you can get only the genuine products.  The effective treatment to mood disorders, depression, anxiety and panic etc does not cost you much. As you administer this drug, your positive energy level gets enhanced rapidly and your energy level increases manifold. Ordering and buying Celexa wholesale will cost you much cheaper and also save your time and energy.</p>
<p>It is advisable to order Celexa in bulk as it cuts down on the investment drastically. There are several psychiatrists who go for wholesale purchase of Celexa and get benefitted by availing the much reduced rates. There are several medical suppliers that provide you free shipping when you order celexa in bulk and provide you lucrative offers also. There are retail websites also which claim to offer much reduced rates of Celexa and offer discount. These websites give you 100% money back guarantee and have 24*7 customer support. One should be cautious to check whether it has FDA approval.</p>
<p>When you are ordering Celexa just keep in mind that you should not use this drug along with dexfenfluramine, fenfluramine, terfenadine or tramadol. Also, avoid taking this medicine within fourteen days of taking furazolidane, linezolid, moclobemide, phenelzine etc. If you are using any of the above mentioned medicines, then you should consult your doctor first before switching into Celexa. Also, you should not start or stop taking this medicine without consulting your doctor. You should also inform your doctor about allergy, breast feeding, pregnancy or any other medical condition that you may have.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/buy-celexa-for-effective-treatment-of-depression/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Study Links Coffee to Lower Risk of Endometrial Cancer</title>
		<link>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/study-links-coffee-to-lower-risk-of-endometrial-cancer/</link>
		<comments>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/study-links-coffee-to-lower-risk-of-endometrial-cancer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:14:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/?p=20</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Women who drink moderate to high amounts of coffee may reduce their risk for endometrial cancer, new research reveals. The finding stems from what investigators call the largest study to date to explore the impact of coffee and tea on the risk of endometrial cancer, which is cancer that originates in the lining of the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Women who drink moderate to high amounts of coffee may reduce their risk for endometrial cancer, new research reveals. The finding stems from what investigators call the largest study to date to explore the impact of coffee and tea on the risk of endometrial cancer, which is cancer that originates in the lining of the uterus. The study found that women who consume four or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day appear to lower their risk for endometrial cancer by 25 percent, relative to women who drink less than one cup a day.</p>
<p>Drinking fewer than four cups a day did not appear to offer any preventative benefit, however. Nor did drinking tea. But there was some indication that decaffeinated coffee might be helpful, as drinking two or more cups of decaf daily was linked (although only tentatively) to a 22 percent drop in endometrial cancer risk.<br />
<span id="more-20"></span><br />
Still, &#8220;this study does not prove cause and effect,&#8221; cautioned study co-author Dr. Edward Giovannucci, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. &#8220;But this observation has been suggested previously, and there&#8217;s strong reason now to believe that this association is real.&#8221;</p>
<p>Giovannucci pointed to a number of potential explanations. &#8220;One is that women with higher levels of estrogen and insulin are at a higher risk for endometrial cancer, and coffee seems to reduce levels of both,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Also women with diabetes also face a much higher risk, and coffee has been associated with a lower risk for diabetes. So there are several factors that could be involved.</p>
<p>&#8220;We also think that any risk reduction is probably related to something other than caffeine,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Because coffee is a fairly complex beverage with literally thousands of compounds. In fact, coffee has one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants, and any number of those could have a beneficial aspect.&#8221;</p>
<p>The findings appear in the current issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers &#038; Prevention. The authors point out that endometrial cancer is currently the most prevalent gynecologic cancer among American women. In addition to routine exercise and weight maintenance, researchers have theorized that certain aspects of diet might play a role in endometrial cancer prevention.</p>
<p>Coffee has been highlighted as a possible game-changer, given its impact on circulating hormone levels. The authors note that recent studies from Japan and Sweden support this conjecture. To further explore coffee&#8217;s potential, the research team analyzed data that had previously been collected by the Nurses&#8217; Health Study .</p>
<p>Initially launched in 1976, the study as a whole involved women between the ages of 30 and 55, residing in 11 different states. The authors focused on the coffee-drinking habits of roughly 67,500 study participants, conducting surveys at two-year intervals to track endometrial cancer incidence over 26 years. Dietary habits were assessed in surveys that were completed once every four years between 1980 and 2002.</p>
<p>The team observed 672 cases of endometrial cancer. After accounting for a range of factors (such as smoking habits, body mass index and alcohol consumption) the authors found that four or more cups of caffeinated coffee was &#8220;significantly&#8221; associated with a 25 percent drop in endometrial cancer risk.</p>
<p>That said, the team hesitated to endorse high levels of coffee consumption, noting that the apparent benefit could be negated among those who routinely add cream and sugar to their cup of joe. Dr. Janice Dutcher, director of immunotherapy at St Luke&#8217;s Roosevelt Hospital Center and Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, suggested the findings should not been interpreted as anything more than an &#8220;interesting hypothesis.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m skeptical,&#8221; she said. &#8220;My skepticism comes from the fact that a variety of things have been associated with cancer at one point, and then not associated with cancer later on. Twenty years ago it was thought coffee was the cause of pancreatic cancer. And to isolate one dietary factor from all the other things that people take in is very complicated. So while I&#8217;m sure this is a carefully done study with good methodology, I would be very careful about drawing any conclusions.&#8221;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/study-links-coffee-to-lower-risk-of-endometrial-cancer/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Benefits of Buying Generic Lexapro Online</title>
		<link>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/the-benefits-of-buying-generic-lexapro-online/</link>
		<comments>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/the-benefits-of-buying-generic-lexapro-online/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:59:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lexapro]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/?p=17</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Generic Lexapro drug is increasingly becoming popular. This is mainly because of the fact that it ranks among the most effective of all drugs within the same category you will find in the market. However, to get the most out of it, you will be very well advised to ensure you procure it through [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Generic Lexapro drug is increasingly becoming popular. This is mainly because of the fact that it ranks among the most effective of all drugs within the same category you will find in the market. However, to get the most out of it, you will be very well advised to ensure you procure it through the internet.</p>
<p>There are many benefits that accrue to those who go out of their way to buy Generic LexiROM online. These benefits will be discussed shortly and it is hoped that by the end of the article, you will choose to buy it from the internet.<br />
<span id="more-17"></span><br />
1. FDA Approval<br />
The first thing you need to note about the GL you will buy through the internet is that it is FDA approved. This means that you can rest assured that the medications have been tried and tested and allowed to go into the market.</p>
<p>2. High Quality<br />
Along the same lines, if you <a href="http://www.genericlexapro.biz">buy Generic Lexapro</a> through the internet, you will ensure that you land on medications of a very high quality. These drugs are very effective. Since they are brand drugs, it follows that they work very fast in the way they have been designed. This is one of the core reasons why they also happen to be FDA approved.</p>
<p>3. You Do Not Need a Prescription<br />
You should also keep in mind that a prescription is not needed when you procure Generic Lexapro without prescription through the internet. This has made life a lot easier for most people. You do not need to waste your time going to a physician so as to get a prescription to be able to buy this medication. This also save you the money you would have spent for the doctor’s fees to get a prescription.</p>
<p>4. Cheaper Medications<br />
Undertaking to procure this brand of medications online will also ensure you pay less. This is because of the commonly known fact that those medications that are bought through the internet typically tend to be a lot less expensive in comparison to buying the same medications from most local drugstores.</p>
<p>5. The Brand<br />
Finally, you will gain from buying the <a href="http://www.genericlexapro.biz">Generic Lexapro</a> cheap through the internet in the sense that you can get both generic and brand medications. This simply means that you have a wider variety to choose from. Therefore, getting exactly what you are looking for is made a lot easier for you. The variety also gives you a choice that you can exploit to get the best medication.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/the-benefits-of-buying-generic-lexapro-online/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Prostate surgery risks greater for elderly men</title>
		<link>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/prostate-surgery-risks-greater-for-elderly-men/</link>
		<comments>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/prostate-surgery-risks-greater-for-elderly-men/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:46:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cancer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/?p=15</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Elderly men who have prostate cancer surgery face heightened risks of complications &#8212; and the majority have the procedure at hospitals with less-than-optimal outcomes, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers found that of more than 115,000 U.S. men who had their prostates removed to treat cancer, some 2,100 were age 75 or older. Just over two [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Elderly men who have prostate cancer surgery face heightened risks of complications &#8212; and the majority have the procedure at hospitals with less-than-optimal outcomes, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers found that of more than 115,000 U.S. men who had their prostates removed to treat cancer, some 2,100 were age 75 or older.</p>
<p>Just over two percent of those elderly men had a surgical complication &#8212; such as an accidental laceration to nerves, blood vessels or structures near the prostate &#8212; compared to about one percent of younger men. The situation was similar when it came to complications following the surgery, like wound infections and life-threatening breathing trouble. Those affected 17 percent of elderly men, versus 12 percent of younger men.<br />
<span id="more-15"></span><br />
What&#8217;s more, the study found, elderly men were more likely to have their surgery at a smaller, non-academic hospital, where rates of prostate surgery complications tend to be higher compared with centers where surgeons perform more of the procedures. It&#8217;s not surprising that elderly men would have higher complication risks, according to lead researcher Dr. Quoc-Dien Trinh, a urologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.</p>
<p>Those findings back up results from earlier studies, he told Reuters Health in an email. &#8220;The novelty of this study is the finding that most elderly men undergo radical prostatectomy (prostate removal) at institutions where less-than-optimal outcomes are recorded,&#8221; Trinh added. Overall, 56 percent of elderly men were treated at community hospitals not connected to a medical school. That compared with 44 percent of younger men.</p>
<p>And most elderly men (68.5 percent) had surgery at a small- to mid-size hospital. Among elderly men, those who had surgery at the smallest hospitals also had higher complication rates: 22 percent had a post-surgery complication, for example, versus just over 17 percent at mid-sized centers and 15 percent at large hospitals. There are many unknowns from the findings, which are published in the British Journal of Urology International.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not clear why most elderly men had surgery at smaller, non-academic hospitals. One possibility, Trinh said, is that elderly patients are likely to stay close to home &#8212; which often means a smaller community hospital. But another possibility, he said, is that surgeons at larger, academic hospitals are &#8220;more selective&#8221; about whom they&#8217;ll choose for prostate cancer surgery. They may only rarely operate on men age 75 or older, Trinh said.</p>
<p>That gets to the larger issue of when it is appropriate to treat prostate cancer. In the U.S., many men now have their cancer diagnosed at an earlier stage through screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests.</p>
<p>The problem is that prostate cancer is often slow-growing and may never progress far enough to threaten a man&#8217;s life. So finding and treating early tumors can do more harm than good for some men, since treatment carries risks. Common side effects include incontinence and impotence. Another option for earlier-stage prostate cancer is what doctors call &#8220;active surveillance&#8221; &#8212; which means monitoring a man&#8217;s cancer with regular PSAs and other tests to see if the cancer is progressing. For elderly men, in particular, the risks of surgery are usually thought to outweigh any potential benefit.</p>
<p>In fact, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force &#8212; an expert panel with federal support &#8212; has long recommended against routinely doing PSA screening in men age 75 and older who have no symptoms of prostate cancer.</p>
<p>For men in that age group, the panel said, there is &#8220;moderate certainty&#8221; that the harms of PSA screening outweigh any potential benefit. (The USPSTF has also just released draft recommendations advising against routine screening of symptom-free men at any age.) According to Trinh, it&#8217;s not possible to tell how many elderly men in this study might have been &#8220;overtreated.&#8221;</p>
<p>The findings are based on hospital discharge records, and the researchers did not have detailed information on the patients&#8217; cancer &#8212; including how advanced their tumors were at diagnosis, or whether the cancer was caught through screening or diagnosed after a man developed symptoms. And there may be instances where an elderly man could benefit from prostate cancer surgery. However, Trinh said, &#8220;radical prostatectomy in men aged 75 or older should be an exceptional event.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Does this mean that they should absolutely avoid surgery? No,&#8221; Trinh said. &#8220;But they should at least seek the care of an expert surgeon/institution, especially when we know that they are at higher risk of complications than their younger counterparts.&#8221; In general, Trinh said, surgery should be limited to elderly men who are otherwise in &#8220;excellent&#8221; health &#8212; and, therefore, could be expected to live long enough to see a survival advantage from prostate cancer treatment.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/prostate-surgery-risks-greater-for-elderly-men/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Normal blood pressure without drugs &#8211; it&#8217;s possible</title>
		<link>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/normal-blood-pressure-without-drugs-its-possible/</link>
		<comments>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/normal-blood-pressure-without-drugs-its-possible/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:50:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/?p=11</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Your genetic make-up, age, and lifestyle have an obvious impact on your blood pressure and the overall health of your body and its circulatory system. You can not control the first two factors, but you can control your lifestyle. Generally, when we suffer from irregular blood pressure we resort to traditional medicines as prescribed by [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Your genetic make-up, age, and lifestyle have an obvious impact on your blood pressure and the overall health of your body and its circulatory system. You can not control the first two factors, but you can control your lifestyle. Generally, when we suffer from irregular blood pressure we resort to traditional medicines as prescribed by our doctor. However, these medicines are most often taken for long periods of time and as such may cause various side effects like liver damage. </p>
<p>Because of these dangerous side effects, traditional drugs are not a favored option to control high blood pressure. The good news is that you can regain normal blood pressure without drugs. Nature has provided us with rich and effective natural resources. In addition, our body’s possess incredible healing powers of their own, they just need some help and support to get these processes in gear.<br />
<span id="more-11"></span><br />
A healthy lifestyle goes quite far in ensuring a healthy physical state. The things we’re exposed to daily as well as the foods we choose to eat every day have a profound impact on our overall well being. Choosing a healthier lifestyle may be the best starting point. This foundation ensures that we give our bodies the nutrients and immune-system boosters that it needs to perform at optimal health. There are a number of natural remedies that compliment the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. Some prefer to take up yoga and meditation to eliminate stress. Others take herbal therapies, herbal medicines, wild-crafted herbal supplements, and more to assist in regaining good circulation. Indeed, we can follow some lifestyle disciplines to ensure normal blood pressure with out drugs. These include:</p>
<p>Having a healthy diet: Diet is a vital part of our lifestyle and if you are aiming at reaching normal blood pressure without drugs, you will have to be extra careful with what you eat. It’s important to avoid diets overly rich in animal-proteins. You will need to increase consumption of green vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, vitamins, and minerals to receive the necessary nutrients. These healthy foods will allow you to attain a healthy lifestyle and go a long way to ensure that you have normal blood pressure.</p>
<p>Minimizing salt consumption: Common salt is an important element in our daily diet, but if you are consuming more than is necessary it can harm your blood circulation. Therefore, to ensure normal blood pressure without drugs you need to reduce your salt consumption.</p>
<p>Lose weight: Extra weight can harm you in several ways. It can cause lots of health-related troubles. Therefore, lose weight as soon as possible. This can normalize your blood pressure dramatically.</p>
<p>Quit smoking: Smoking definitely affects our good circulation. It constricts our blood vessels and causes our hearts to beat faster. This bad habit also increases the formation of fat deposits in our arteries. Therefore, to normalize blood pressure without drugs quit smoking immediately.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/normal-blood-pressure-without-drugs-its-possible/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What to expect from a really good optician?</title>
		<link>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/what-to-expect-from-a-really-good-optician/</link>
		<comments>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/what-to-expect-from-a-really-good-optician/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:49:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/?p=9</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A good optician is certainly one who can detect what is wrong with a person’s eyes. Whether or not he/she requires simple eye drops, glasses or maybe even surgery is something only a good optician can decide after a proper and thorough eye examination. Most eye doctors carry out basic tests in order to arrive [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A good optician is certainly one who can detect what is wrong with a person’s eyes. Whether or not he/she requires simple eye drops, glasses or maybe even surgery is something only a good optician can decide after a proper and thorough eye examination. Most eye doctors carry out basic tests in order to arrive at the problem at hand.</p>
<p>When visiting an optometrist, a patient can always tell whether or not the doctor is a good one. There are certain procedures every optician carries out in order to ensure the systematic approach toward eye care. Some of these procedures include:</p>
<p>- Asking/checking whether or not the patient has ever worn glasses. If you go to only one optician, he is likely to know this.<br />
<span id="more-9"></span><br />
- He must check to see whether or not you are a candidate for glasses and/or lenses. There are some people who are not able to wear glasses or their eyes are not as weak as they usually are when glasses are prescribed. It is the job of the optician to figure this out.</p>
<p>- Every good optician without making any decision takes an eye test. This involves the patient reading alphabets varying in size, set at a distance. The patient is required to do this with his/her naked eye. The result is deciphered from the way in which the letters are read out.</p>
<p>- Discussing with the patient what discomfort he/she is facing</p>
<p>- A good optician always carries out basic tests which help him in deciding what exactly the problem is. Sometimes the eyes are just stressed out and need to be relaxed. For this the doctor might suggest eye exercises to be carried out. At other times, the problem can be bad for which the doctor needs to know exactly what is wrong.</p>
<p>Any good eye doctor ensures that he discusses the result of the eye test and examination with the patient. He would provide you with needs to be done and will probably recommend to you certain medications if glasses are not required. Try and see an optician whom you are comfortable with and who treats you well.</p>
<p>There are many people in the world’s population who suffer from eye problems. Most people get affected by eye problems because of carelessness however there are certainly some problems which are inherited and may be part of a person’s genetic makeup. Neither of these is a good sign which is why regular checkups with an optician are recommended to people, particularly young children and the elderly.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/what-to-expect-from-a-really-good-optician/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>HIV drugs boost prevention hopes</title>
		<link>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/hiv-drugs-boost-prevention-hopes/</link>
		<comments>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/hiv-drugs-boost-prevention-hopes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:11:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/?p=6</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Heterosexuals who take daily AIDS drugs reduce the risk of being infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by nearly two-thirds, ground-breaking studies said on Wednesday. Campaigners hailed what they described as a powerful new weapon in the three-decade war against AIDS. &#8220;This is a major scientific breakthrough which reconfirms the essential role that antiretroviral [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Heterosexuals who take daily AIDS drugs reduce the risk of being infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by nearly two-thirds, ground-breaking studies said on Wednesday. Campaigners hailed what they described as a powerful new weapon in the three-decade war against AIDS.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is a major scientific breakthrough which reconfirms the essential role that antiretroviral medicine has to play in the AIDS response,&#8221; Michel Sidibe, executive director of the UN agency UNAIDS said. &#8220;These studies could help us to reach the tipping point in the HIV epidemic.&#8221;</p>
<p>A trial called Partners PrEP, conducted by the University of Washington, followed 4,758 &#8220;sero-discordant&#8221; heterosexual couples &#8212; in which one person had HIV and the other was uninfected &#8212; in Kenya and Uganda.<br />
<span id="more-6"></span><br />
The uninfected partner received either a dummy pill or a tablet containing either the HIV drug tenofovir or a combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine. In the group receiving tenofovir, there were 62 percent fewer infections compared with the placebo group.</p>
<p>In the tenofovir/emtricitabine group, there were 73 percent fewer infections over counterparts taking the placebo. The results were so remarkable that safety monitors recommended the probe be stopped early, for to continue it would have been unethical.</p>
<p>The second trial, conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), followed 1,219 uninfected men and women in Botswana who received either placebo or the tenofovir/emtricitabine combination. Those who received the antiretroviral pill reduced the risk of HIV infection by 63 percent compared with the placebo group.</p>
<p>They are the first trials to show that so-called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, can work among heterosexuals. Last November a study, conducted among sero-discordant homosexual men, found a reduction of 44 percent in risk among uninfected partners who took HIV drugs.</p>
<p>In contrast, a smaller-scale trial, whose preliminary results were published earlier this year, found that PrEP did not protect heterosexual women. In May, a big study conducted among sero-discordant heterosexual couples in Africa showed early use of drugs by the infected partner slashed the risk of transmitting HIV to the other partner by 96 percent.</p>
<p>Put together, these trials add massively to the argument that the world&#8217;s AIDS pandemic can be slowed by wider distribution of antiretrovirals, said activists. &#8220;These results are tremendously exciting and confirm that we are at pivotal period,&#8221; said Mitchell Warren, executive director of US advocacy group AVAC.</p>
<p>&#8220;Now is the time to include ARV-based prevention in national plans, applications to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and donor priorities.</p>
<p>&#8220;(&#8230;) We need ambitious pilot and demonstration projects to guide programmatic design, along with national and international guidance on how best to use ARVs (antiretrovirals) as lifesaving prevention tools,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>The International AIDS Society, which is hosting a major conference in Rome from Sunday, said data from the two trials was &#8220;compelling&#8221; and &#8220;adds to the cascade of evidence.&#8221; But it also highlighted the looming debate about using drugs designed for treatment in the role of prevention.</p>
<p>Antiretrovirals are the famous &#8220;cocktail&#8221; of drugs, first introduced in 1996, that helped turn the tide against AIDS. They suppress HIV in the body but do not eradicate it completely. As a result, they reduce the risk of infection through contact with body fluids, although they are not a cure and taking them can carry inflict toxic side effects.</p>
<p>In addition, there is a potentially hefty financial cost if the pills are taken daily for prevention, although the price has fallen to as little as 25 US cents per tablet.</p>
<p>The &#8220;treatment as prevention&#8221; strategy has risen alongside male circumcision as new options in the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, which has claimed around 30 million lives over the past three decades. More than 33 million people are living with the AIDS virus, according to estimates for 2009 released last year by UNAIDS.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://thepathtohealthyliving.com/hiv-drugs-boost-prevention-hopes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

