Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0018799 (heart disease)
 34,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In the modern era of pharmacologic treatment of erectile dysfunction, men with heart disease increasingly approach their physicians regarding the possibility of restoring sexual activity. At the same time, patients are also frequently aware of public figures that have reportedly died during coitus, often in the arms of their mistresses or prostitutes. Added to this is the perception of patients, and oftentimes their physicians, that coitus and orgasm are associated with a near maximal or even "supermaximal" cardiac workload and therefore may be hazardous for a diseased heart. Accordingly, knowledge of the cardiovascular effects of sexual activity, the risks of triggering a cardiovascular event, and the potential risks inherent in the use of drug therapy of male impotence is important to properly advise patients and their spouses regarding this sensitive issue.
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PMID:Sex, the heart, and heart failure. 1695 62

Little has been published about sexual function in chronic heart failure (CHF) and knowledge among clinicians in this regard is sparse. To review data regarding sexual function and dysfunction in patients with CHF, 2 of the authors (S.A.M. and P.A.U.) independently conducted a literature search using the MEDLINE database. English-language articles and cited bibliographies published between January 1996 and November 2006 were reviewed. Search terms included heart failure or CHF or ventricular dysfunction or heart disease in conjunction with sexual activity, erectile dysfunction, impotence, or sex. Articles were selected for inclusion if they had a primary focus on CHF and sexual function or dysfunction. Critical reviews of the literature, observational studies using self-reported patient surveys, and prospective, blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trials were included. Articles were not excluded on the basis of patient sample size but were excluded if the article concerned a broad aspect of cardiovascular disease rather than CHF. When properly screened and treated, most patients with CHF can safely engage in sexual activity and be treated for erectile dysfunction with sildenafil, provided that they do not have active ischemia and do not require treatment with nitrates. Clinicians should know the physiological requirements of sexual activity and the impact CHF has on sexual performance. Fear of a cardiac event during intercourse can interfere with patients' ability to perform and enjoy sex, and so it is important that the physician be able to counsel patients with CHF about sexual activity.
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PMID:Sexual activity and chronic heart failure. 1790 27

Our prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer in the United States and Europe. Around half of those who die have taken their drugs correctly; the other half die because of errors, such as too high a dose or use of a drug despite contraindications. Our drug agencies are not particularly helpful, as they rely on fake fixes, which are a long list of warnings, precautions, and contraindications for each drug, although they know that no doctor can possibly master all of these. Major reasons for the many drug deaths are impotent drug regulation, widespread crime that includes corruption of the scientific evidence about drugs and bribery of doctors, and lies in drug marketing, which is as harmful as tobacco marketing and, therefore, should be banned. We should take far fewer drugs, and patients should carefully study the package inserts of the drugs their doctors prescribe for them and independent information sources about drugs such as Cochrane reviews, which will make it easier for them to say "no thanks".
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PMID:Our prescription drugs kill us in large numbers. 2572 74

Robert Furchgott was first noted for research on drug-receptor theory, autonomic neuroeffector mechanisms, and vascular pharmacology/physiology. His studies on drug-receptor interactions provided important knowledge about the properties of drug receptors long before methodologies were developed to study them directly. However, Furchgott achieved an enduring legacy for recognizing the importance of endothelial cells for the relaxation of vascular smooth muscle. On the basis of his own experiments and those of others, he proposed that acetylcholine interacted with muscarinic receptors at the surface of endothelial cells to release a substance called endothelium relaxing factor. Endothelium relaxing factor was later identified as nitric oxide, a colorless, odorless gas. Furchgott's discovery of an entirely new mechanism by which blood vessels dilate revolutionized studies on the physiology of the vascular system. His work also suggested new treatments for hypertension and heart disease, and was a key factor in the development of the anti-impotence drug sildenafil. In 1998, Robert Furchgott shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Ferid Murad and Louis Ignarro.
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PMID:Robert Furchgott (1916-2009): A scientist with a mission. 3067 18


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