About three in five women between the ages of 18 and 44 suffer from premenstrual tension. One in six rates her symptoms as severe, and one in five admits to missing work, school or college due to premenstrual symptoms. These results are from a survey of 1,000 women carried out by Drury Research. The survey also found that almost half of those who suffer from premenstrual problems do not take medication or supplements to help them cope with their symptoms. Combined vitamin and mineral supplements such as Magnesium-OK have been found to ease depression, anxiety and breast tenderness in over 60 per cent of sufferers. Magnesium is believed to be associated with the stabilising of blood sugar levels, which can fluctuate prior to menstruation and thus bring about mood swings.
A month-long course in music therapy improved behaviour and sleeping problems in a group of Alzheimer's disease patients. Twenty male patients at the Miami Veterans Administration Medical Centre in Florida, USA participated in a music therapy programme for 30 to 40 minutes five times a week for four weeks. Blood analyses indicated a significant increase in blood melatonin levels after participation. The researchers associated this with the patients' increased co-operation with nurses, better sleep patterns and overall improved activity. "Music therapy might be a safer and more effective alternative to many psychotropic medications. Like meditation and yoga, it can help us maintain our hormonal and emotional balance, even during periods of stress or disease," said Dr Ardash Kuman, co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Miami School of Medicine. (Reuters Health)
Pressure to conform to the "ideal" body type may raise risks for depression and suicide in overweight women and underweight men, according to a study at the Obesity Research Centre, St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in New York. "There is much prejudice and discrimination against obese people, especially women, so one thought is that being obese puts women at risk for depression," Dr Myles Faith reported in the February issue of the American Journal of Public Health. On the other hand, he continued, Western culture tends to value hyper-masculine and muscular male physiques over thinner builds. Dr Faith speculated that some underweight men may view themselves as "scrawny or being a weakling", thus lowering their self-esteem and raising risks for depression. (Reuters Health)
A British urologist has warned that young men who use the drug, sildenafil, better known as Viagra, for recreational purposes could suffer permanent erectile dysfunction. Similarly, those who take sildenafil as part of a drug cocktail that includes nitric oxide risk a fatal heart attack or stroke. "Poppers", which contain amyl nitrate are "potentially extremely hazardous" when combined with sildenafil, writes Dr Roger Kirby in the February issue of the Student British Medical Journal.
Workers in Britain are to get lessons in relaxation techniques and taking more exercise as part of a £700,000 scheme to tackle back pain. Organisations taking part in the Back in Work initiative range from health authorities to the car manufacturer, Rolls Royce. Over 330 organisations applied for government funding, and 19 were chosen to run pilot projects. It is estimated that back pain sufferers take an average of 13 days off work every year due to their condition. The overall aim of the Back in Work initiative is to reduce the number of adults - estimated to be two in five - who suffer from back pain.
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