terça-feira, 20 de maio de 2014

Weight bias plagues U.S. elections, study finds

 

May 19, 2014

Michigan State University

Overweight political candidates tend to receive fewer votes than their thinner opponents, finds a new study by a weight bias expert. Both obese men and women were less likely to get on the ballot in the first place. When it came to merely being overweight, women were underrepresented on the ballot, though men were not. This is consistent with previous research showing men who are slightly heavy tend not to experience discrimination like that of slightly overweight women.


Overweight political candidates tend to receive fewer votes than their thinner opponents, finds a new study co-authored by a Michigan State University weight bias expert.

While past research has found weight discrimination in schools, businesses, entertainment and other facets of American society, this is the first scientific investigation into whether that bias extends to election outcomes, said Mark Roehling, professor of human resources.

"We found weight had a significant effect on voting behavior," Roehling said. "Additionally, the greater size disparity between candidates, the greater the vote share of the more slender candidate."

Before he became a university professor, Roehling was a human resources manager at a Fortune 100 corporation and a civil attorney who specialized in employment cases such as wrongful discharge and discrimination.

For the study, he and his wife, Patricia Roehling, a psychology professor at Hope College, analyzed data from the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Senate elections. Using a previously established scientific method, research assistants determined from color photos whether the candidates in 126 primary and general elections were normal weight, overweight or obese.

Both obese men and women were less likely to get on the ballot in the first place. When it came to merely being overweight, women were underrepresented on the ballot, though men were not. This is consistent with previous research showing men who are slightly heavy tend not to experience discrimination like that of slightly overweight women.

However, when it came to the voting, both male and female candidates -- whether obese or simply overweight -- got a lower share of the vote total than their more slender opponents.

"The study," said Roehling, "provides evidence that the bias and discrimination against the overweight and obese that has been documented in the areas of employment, education, health care and social situations also extends to the electoral process in the United States."

The study was published online in May in the research journal Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Michigan State University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Patricia V. Roehling, Mark V. Roehling, Ashli Brennan, Ashley R. Drew, Abbey J. Johnston, Regina G. Guerra, Ivy R. Keen, Camerra P. Lightbourn, Alexis H. Sears. Weight bias in US candidate selection and election. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 2014; 33 (4): 334 DOI: 10.1108/EDI-10-2013-0081

MicroRNA that could be used to suppress prostate cancer progression found

 


About one in seven men will develop prostate cancer over the course of a lifetime, and about one in 36 men will die from it.

This is why findings by Cincinnati Cancer Center researchers, showing that a tumor suppressive microRNA, when activated by an anti-estrogen drug, could contribute to development of future targeted therapies, are important.

These findings are published in the May 16, 2014 edition of the journal PLOS ONE.

"MicroRNAs, or miRNAs, are short RNA molecules that play a prominent role in regulating gene expression. One miRNA can target multiple genes, but their expression is often hijacked by cancer cells and disrupts multiple cancer-causing or tumor-suppressing pathways," says Shuk-Mei Ho, PhD, director of the CCC and Jacob G. Schmidlapp Chair of Environmental Health and professor at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine.

She along with Ricky Y.K. Leung, PhD, member of the CCC, assistant research professor in the department of environmental health and member of the UC Cancer Institute, and their team identified a new miRNA, known as hsa-miR-765, which is specifically activated by a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved anti-estrogen drug (fulvestrant).

"This miRNA suppresses expression of HMGA1, a gene that was shown in previous studies to be associated with prostate cancer progression and recurrence," says Leung. "These findings do not only contribute to new insights on the effects of anti-estrogen but also the potential of using miRNA for monitoring drug efficacy and for future RNA-based therapy developments.

"This study also highlights the potential use of this anti-estrogen or miRNA in patients with recurrent prostate cancer, for whom there is no treatment, and raises the possibility of using anti-estrogen or miRNA treatments in preventing or slowing progression for primary prostate cancer."

Using cultured prostate cancer specimens from patients who were given a single 250 mg dose of fulvestrant, researchers found that hsa-miR-765 acted as a tumor suppressor when its expression was increased by the use of fulvestrant.

"Both the anti-estrogen and the hsa-miR-765 mimic suppressed HMGA1 protein expression," Ho says. "Levels of hsa-miR-765 were increased, and HMGA1 expression was almost completely lost in prostate cancer specimens from patients treated with a single dose of fulvestrant 28 days before removal of their prostate glands.

"These findings reveal a unique fulvestrant signaling process involving the increased regulation of hsa-miR-765 that suppresses the HMGA1 protein as part of the mechanism underlying the tumor suppressor action in prostate cancer. This could lead to newer treatment options with less toxicity for these patients."


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Yuet-Kin Leung, Queeny Kwan-Yi Chan, Chi-Fai Ng, Fanny Man-Ting Ma, Ho-Man Tse, Ka-Fai To, Jodi Maranchie, Shuk-Mei Ho, Kin-Mang Lau. Hsa-miRNA-765 as a Key Mediator for Inhibiting Growth, Migration and Invasion in Fulvestrant-Treated Prostate Cancer. PLoS ONE, 2014; 9 (5): e98037 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098037

Wide variation in lung cancer rates globally, study finds

 

May 16, 2014

American Cancer Society

Lung cancer rates are dropping in young women in many regions of the globe, the only recent comprehensive analysis of lung cancer rates for women around the world finds. The study points to the success of tobacco control efforts around the world. Lung cancer is now the second leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. An estimated 491,200 women died of lung cancer in 2012, more than half (57%) of whom resided in economically developing countries.


The only recent comprehensive analysis of lung cancer rates for women around the world finds lung cancer rates are dropping in young women in many regions of the globe, pointing to the success of tobacco control efforts. However, rates continue to increase among older women in many countries, indicating a need for more concentrated efforts to initiate or expand comprehensive tobacco control programs across the globe to curtail future tobacco-related lung cancer deaths. The study is published early online in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Lung cancer is now the second leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. An estimated 491,200 women died of lung cancer in 2012, more than half (57%) of whom resided in economically developing countries. Differences in smoking patterns account for much of the variation in lung cancer rates around the globe. Smoking in females became common in North America, Northern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand as early as the 1940s, but remained rare throughout the 20th century in the developing world and in places with strong social norms against it, such as the Middle East. Only recently is female smoking becoming more common in many of these countries, because of increasing social acceptance, newly open markets, and/or targeted marketing by the tobacco industry.

Because the tobacco epidemic among women has varied globally, researchers led by Lindsey Torre documented and compared contemporary trends in lung cancer mortality, to identify opportunities for intervention. They used the World Health Organization's Cancer Mortality Database covering populations on 10 six continents to calculate age-standardized lung cancer death rates during 2006 to 2010 and annual percent change in rates for available years from 1985 to 2011 and for the most recent five years for which data is available by population and age group (30-49 and 50-74 years).

Lung cancer mortality rates among young women (30-49 years) were stable or declining in 47 of the 52 populations examined. In contrast, among older women (50-74 years), rates were increasing for more than half (36/64) of populations examined, including most countries in Southern, Eastern, and Western Europe and South America. Lung cancer mortality rates (per 100,000) during 2006-2010 ranged from 0.7 in Costa Rica to 14.8 in Hungary among young women and from 8.8 in Georgia to 120.0 in Scotland among older women. For both age groups, rates were highest in parts of Europe (Scotland, Hungary, Denmark) and North America and lowest in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

"The widespread reduction in lung cancer we found in young women in many parts of the globe is encouraging, and probably reflects both successful tobacco control efforts and increased awareness about the health hazards of smoking," said Torre. "The greatest opportunity we have right now for slowing a tobacco-fueled epidemic is in those countries where smoking among women is rare, such as Africa and most of Asia. And while decreasing lung cancer death rates are encouraging, many countries have yet to implement the kinds of comprehensive tobacco control measures that have led to drops in other countries."


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by American Cancer Society. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Lindsey A. Torre, Rebecca L. Siegel, Elizabeth M. Ward, and Ahmedin Jemal. International Variation in Lung Cancer Mortality Rates and Trends among Women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers, May 2014 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-13-1220

Molecules involved in rheumatoid arthritis angiogenesis identified

 

May 16, 2014

University of Illinois at Chicago

Two protein molecules that fit together as lock and key seem to promote the abnormal formation of blood vessels in joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers who found that the substances are present at higher levels in the joints of patients affected by the disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease in which the body's own defenses attack the tissues lining the joints, causing painful swelling and bone erosion that can ultimately lead to joint deformities.


Two protein molecules that fit together as lock and key seem to promote the abnormal formation of blood vessels in joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, who found that the substances are present at higher levels in the joints of patients affected by the disease.

Their results are reported in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

"Our results show, for the first time, that these two proteins -- a receptor and its corresponding binding protein -- play a key role in the progression of rheumatoid arthritis pathology," said Shiva Shahrara, associate professor of rheumatology at UIC.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease in which the body's own defenses attack the tissues lining the joints, causing painful swelling and bone erosion that can ultimately lead to joint deformities.

One of the hallmarks of rheumatoid arthritis is the development of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis, in the joints.

"The swelling of joints is caused by the abnormal migration of a variety of different cell types into the joint," Shahrara said. "And as these cells accumulate, they need to be supplied with oxygen and nutrients, and so angiogenesis accompanies the joint swelling."

Shahrara and her colleagues knew that a protein called CCL28 was found in the body under low oxygen conditions, or hypoxia. Joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis can become hypoxic, so the researchers wanted to see if the protein and its receptor could be found in patients' affected joints.

The researchers measured the levels of the proteins in the tissues and fluid of joints from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and with osteoarthritis, the more common joint inflammation caused by physical wear and tear. Patients of both types had protein levels in their joints that were significantly higher than individuals without joint disease.

The investigators found that CCL28, which is over-produced in joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis, attracts the surface-lining cells that carry its receptor.

When the researchers added CCL28 to cells carrying the receptor, the cells organized into blood vessels. But if they chemically blocked the receptor and added CCL28, formation of blood vessels was reduced.

The finding, Shahrara said, provides "strong evidence" that the binding of CCL28 to joint-lining cells carrying its corresponding receptor is a necessary step in angiogenesis.


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Illinois at Chicago. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Z. Chen, S.-J. Kim, A. B. Essani, M. V. Volin, O. M. Vila, W. Swedler, S. Arami, S. Volkov, L. V. Sardin, N. Sweiss, S. Shahrara. Characterising the expression and function of CCL28 and its corresponding receptor, CCR10, in RA pathogenesis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2014; DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-204530

Interrupted breathing during sleep affects brain neurons necessary to regulate heart rate

May 16, 2014

 

Sufferers of a common sleep-breathing disorder have diminished activity among neurons responsible for keeping heart rate low, reveals a new study. The research discovered that in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), neurons in the brainstem that control heart rate experience a blunting of their activity. The reduction of neuronal activity likely contributes to the increased heart rate, blood pressure and risk of adverse cardiovascular events that occur in patients with OSA.


Sufferers of a common sleep-breathing disorder have diminished activity among neurons responsible for keeping heart rate low, reveals a new study published in The Journal of Physiology.

The research discovered that in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), neurons in the brainstem that control heart rate experience a blunting of their activity. The reduction of neuronal activity likely contributes to the increased heart rate, blood pressure and risk of adverse cardiovascular events that occur in patients with OSA.

OSA is a common cardiovascular disease, occurring in 24% of adult males and 9% of adult females, which causes repetitive interruptions of breathing during sleep. Lack of oxygen during these episodes brings the person to a lighter state of sleep or brief wakefulness to restore normal breathing. Cycles of interrupted breathing and arousal from sleep can occur as frequently as once per minute.

Dr David Mendelowitz, who led the study at The George Washington University USA, says:

"Lack of sleep leaves the mind and body tired, leading to poor mental and physical performance, and if untreated OSA increases a person's risk of developing hypertension and irregular heartbeats. Therefore it is very important that we have discovered some of the underlying mechanisms that could injure the heart and other cardiovascular tissues.

"Our study shows that progression of blunted cardiovascular reflexes is accompanied, and likely maintained by, inhibition of neurons in the brainstem that protect the heart and normally maintain a low resting heart rate. This study would predict that patients who have OSA, and also take sleep medicines, might be at heightened risk for an exaggerated reduction of essential neuronal activity that protects the heart."

The team explored these mechanisms in rats, by mimicking OSA for four weeks and studying the changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and synaptic activity in parasympathetic neurons that control heart rate.

Future work will need to build from this foundation and focus on finding targets to restore the usual cardio-protective function of these neurons to help reduce the risk of arrhythmias, elevated heart rate, and blood pressure that occur with this disease.


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Wiley. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Jhansi Dyavanapalli, Heather Jameson, Olga Dergacheva, Vivek Jain, Mona Alhusayyen, and David Mendelowitz. Chronic intermittent hypoxia‐hypercapnia blunts heart rate responses and alters neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons. The Journal of Physiology, May 2014 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.273482

No such thing as a 'universal' intelligence test: Cultural differences determine results country by country

 


Scientists from the University of Granada have studied 54 individuals -- half Spanish and half Moroccan -- to determine how IQ tests work.

New research suggests that a universal test of intelligence quotient does not exist.  Results in this type of test are determined to a strong degree by cultural differences.

Their objective was to study and explain cultural differences in IQ test performance. To do this, scientists from CIMCYC -- the University of Granada's Brain Mind and Behavior Research Center -- conducted a study of 54 individuals aged between 18 and 54 years: 27 were Spanish and the other 27 were Moroccans residing in Spain.

The groups were selected to ensure that clear cultural differences existed between them: they spoke different languages (Spanish versus Arabic), professed different religions (Christians versus Muslims), had different traditions, and came from very different geographical contexts (Europe versus Africa).

Both groups underwent different tests of intellectual capacity: for example, a test of non-verbal intelligence, and various neuropsychological tests that measure functions such as visual memory and executive functions.

The same test measures different cognitive functions

Although the two groups were similar in terms of sex, educational level and socio-economic status, the results showed that in the test of non-verbal intelligence, the Spanish group obtained a higher IQ score than the Moroccan group. Moreover, the neuropsychological skills used in each subtest were clearly dependent on the country of origin of each participant. In other words, the same test can measure different cognitive functions in individuals from different cultures.

In the light of the results of this study, the authors suggest that the non-verbal tests cannot be considered culture-free and confirm the importance of validating the tests in their cultural context.


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Granada. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. A. F. Fasfous, N. Hidalgo-Ruzzante, R. Vilar-Lopez, A. Catena-Martinez, M. Perez-Garcia. Cultural Differences in Neuropsychological Abilities Required to Perform Intelligence Tasks. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 2013; 28 (8): 784 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/act074

New treatment targeting versatile protein may protect brain cells in Parkinson's disease


In Parkinson's disease (PD), dopamine-producing nerve cells that control our movements waste away.

Current treatments for PD therefore aim at restoring dopamine contents in the brain. In a new study from Lund University, researchers are attacking the problem from a different angle, through early activation of a protein that improves the brain's capacity to cope with a host of harmful processes. Stimulating the protein, called Sigma-1 receptor, sets off a battery of defence mechanisms and restores lost motor function. The results were obtained in mice, but clinical trials in patients may not be far away.

By activating the Sigma-1 receptor, a versatile protein involved in many cellular functions, levels of several molecules that help nerve cells build new connections increased, inflammation decreased, while dopamine levels also rose. The results, published in the journal Brain, show a marked improvement of motor symptoms in mice with a Parkinson-like condition that had been treated with a Sigma-1-stimulating drug for 5 weeks.

This treatment has never before been studied in connection with Parkinson's disease. However, various publications linked to stroke and motor neurone disease have reported positive results with drugs that stimulate the Sigma-1 receptor, and a biotech company in the US will soon begin clinical trials on Alzheimer's patients. The fact that substances stimulating this protein are already available for clinical use is a major advantage, according to Professor M. Angela Cenci Nilsson, head of the research team at Lund University.

"It is a huge advantage that these substances have already been tested in people and approved for clinical application. It means that we already know that the body tolerates this treatment. Clinical trials for Parkinson's disease could theoretically start any time."

Boosting the brain's in-built defence mechanisms with approaches like this is a rather new idea in Parkinson's research. Professor Cenci Nilsson, however, believes that the number of targets for future treatments is increasing as we learn more and more about the complex effects of PD on many different types of cells in the brain.

"The motor improvements we have seen in mice are disproportionately large compared to the recovery of dopamine levels. We believe this is because the treatment has protected the brain against a series of indirect consequences triggered by the Parkinson-like lesion. For example, we know today that a loss of dopamine causes the target neurons to lose synapses, and also alters both neural pathways and non-neuronal cells in the brain. Since the Sigma-1 receptor is widely expressed in many cell types, the treatment could intervene in many of these damaging processes ."

The treatment was shown to be significantly more effective when started at the beginning of the most aggressive phase of dopamine cell death. As a future potential therapy for Parkinson's disease, this treatment would therefore need to be started as soon as possible after diagnosis in order to deliver maximum impact.

"In order to accelerate a possible clinical translation of our findings, we will now seek further evidence in support of this type of treatment. We are now discussing various opportunities with different collaborating partners, and we will try to procure funding for clinical studies in Parkinson´s disease as soon as possible," concludes M. Angela Cenci Nilsson.


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Lund University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. V. Francardo, F. Bez, T. Wieloch, H. Nissbrandt, K. Ruscher, M. A. Cenci. Pharmacological stimulation of sigma-1 receptors has neurorestorative effects in experimental parkinsonism. Brain, 2014; DOI: 10.1093/brain/awu107

How key cancer-fighting protein is held in check

 

May 16, 2014

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Analysis reveals how the protein p53, which triggers cancer cells to commit suicide, attaches to its regulatory molecule. These findings could lead to drugs to unleash p53 to battle a range of cancers. In guarding the cell against genetic damage, the p53 machinery functions both in the nucleus of the cell and in the cell's gel-like cytosol. When this machinery detects irreparable damage to the cell, p53 is unleashed to trigger apoptosis. In about half of all cancers, this machinery is rendered inoperable by mutation of p53, enabling cancer cells to proliferate despite their genetic malfunctions.


St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have mapped the structural details of how p53 attaches to its regulatory protein, called BCL-xL, in the cell. The protein p53 is a key activator of the cell's protective machinery against genetic damage, such as the mutations that drive cancer cells' explosive growth.

The detailed understanding of how these two molecular puzzle pieces fit together will help scientists design drugs that release p53 in cancer cells, triggering their suicide, called apoptosis.

The findings appear in the current online journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. The research was led by co-corresponding authors Richard Kriwacki, Ph.D., a member of the St. Jude Structural Biology department, and Douglas Green, Ph.D., chair of the St. Jude Immunology department.

In guarding the cell against genetic damage, the p53 machinery functions both in the nucleus of the cell and in the cell's gel-like cytosol. When this machinery detects irreparable damage to the cell, p53 is unleashed to trigger apoptosis. In about half of all cancers, this machinery is rendered inoperable by mutation of p53, enabling cancer cells to proliferate despite their genetic malfunctions.

The protein BCL-xL is a central inhibitor of the p53 machinery, binding both p53 and other molecules-called BH3 proteins-that also drive apoptosis.

"The molecular details of how BCL-xl performs this dual inhibitory function were not understood," Kriwacki said. "Having those details has enabled us to determine exactly how BCL-xl can restrain or inhibit apoptosis through interactions with BH3-domain-containing proteins, as well as p53."

In their studies, the researchers used a structural analysis technique called NMR spectroscopy to map the 3-D structure of p53 binding to BCL-xL. Their experiments also revealed in detail how one region of the p53 protein, called the DNA-binding domain, serves double duty in the machinery. It enables p53 to attach to DNA in the cell's nucleus, helping the cell repair genetic damage. The same domain also acts as an attachment point for BCL-xL in the cytosol.

"The structural details that we report are novel," Kriwacki said. "And they provide the key insights for really dissecting the dual roles of BCL-xl in inhibiting apoptosis. Those roles are inhibiting the BH3-containing proteins on the one side, and p53 on the other. Also, through these studies we solidified the mechanistic understanding for how p53 functions in the cytosol, which complements its pro-apoptotic role in the nucleus."

The findings will help scientists design cancer-fighting drugs, Kriwacki said. In many cancers, p53 is prevented from triggering apoptosis by its attachment to BCL-xL. Drugs are currently being tested that bind to BCL-xL to free BH3 proteins to trigger apoptosis. However, Kriwacki said, new drugs could be developed-based on knowledge of p53's attachment to BCL-xL-that also block BCL-xL from binding p53.

"Our hypothesis is that many cancers have normal p53, but it is being tied up by BCL-xL," he said. "If it could be released, it could play its role in triggering apoptosis. A drug that could block both of BCL-xL's anti-apoptotic functions could potentially more profoundly induce apoptosis in cancer cells."

Kriwacki also said that the paper was significant because it emphasizes the importance of the role that p53 plays in the cytosol of the cell, in addition to its role in the nucleus; his further studies are seeking to map that molecular machinery in great detail.


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Ariele Viacava Follis, Fabien Llambi, Li Ou, Katherine Baran, Douglas R Green, Richard W Kriwacki. The DNA-binding domain mediates both nuclear and cytosolic functions of p53. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2014; DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2829

FINASTERIDA 5 mg

 

Medicamento genérico Lei nº9.787, de 1.999

Comprimido revestido

Forma Farmacêutica e Apresentações da Finasterida

Comprimido revestido 5 mg. Embalagem contendo 30 comprimidos.

USO ADULTO
Uso oral

Composição da Finasterida


Cada comprimido revestido contém:
Finasterida .................... 5 mg
Excipientes q.s.p.................... 1 comprimido revestido
Excipientes: lactose, amido, docusato sódico, estearato de magnésio, laurilsulfato de sódio, croscarmelose sódica, povidone, hidroxipropilmetilcelulose/ polietilenoglicol, dióxido de titânio rutilo e óxido de ferro amarelo.

Informações ao Paciente da Finasterida

Ação esperada do medicamento
Finasterida é indicada para o tratamento e controle da hiperplasia prostática benigna (HPB) e para a prevenção de eventos urológicos.

Cuidados de armazenamento
Conservar em temperatura ambiente (entre 15° C e 30°C). Proteger da luz.

Prazo de validade
Desde que observados os devidos cuidados de conservação, o prazo de validade de finasterida é de 24 meses, contados a partir da data de fabricação impressa em sua embalagem externa.

NÃO USE MEDICAMENTOS COM O PRAZO DE VALIDADE VENCIDO.

Cuidados de administração
Siga a orientação do seu médico, respeitando sempre os horários, as doses e a duração do tratamento.

Interrupção do tratamento
Não interromper o tratamento sem o conhecimento do seu médico. Somente o médico poderá avaliar a eficácia da terapia. A interrupção do tratamento pode ocasionar a não obtenção dos resultados esperados.

Reações adversas
Finasterida é bem tolerada. Raramente podem ocorrer alterações na esfera sexual durante o uso. Informe ao seu médico o aparecimento de reações desagradáveis.

TODO MEDICAMENTO DEVE SER MANTIDO FORA DO ALCANCE DAS CRIANÇAS.

Ingestão concomitante com outras substâncias
Não são conhecidas interações deste medicamento com alimentos e álcool. Entretanto, recomenda-se não ingerir bebidas alcoólicas durante o tratamento.

Contra-indicações e precauções
O uso deste medicamento é contra-indicado em mulheres e crianças, em casos de hipersensibilidade conhecida a finasterida e/ou demais componentes da formulação.
Mulheres férteis não devem manusear comprimidos esfarelados de finasterida, para evitar o risco de absorção e lesões ao feto.
Informe ao seu médico sobre qualquer medicamento que esteja usando, antes do início, ou durante o tratamento.
NÃO TOME REMÉDIO SEM O CONHECIMENTO DO SEU MÉDICO, PODE SER PERIGOSO PARA A SAÚDE.

Informações Técnicas da Finasterida

- CARACTERÍSTICAS
Finasterida, um composto sintético 4-azasteróide, é um inibidor específico da 5-alfa-redutase do tipo II, uma enzima intracelular que metaboliza a testosterona no andrógeno mais potente, diidrotestosterona (DHT). Na hiperplasia prostática benigna (HPB), o aumento da glândula prostática é dependente da conversão da testosterona em diidrotestosterona (DHT) dentro da próstata. Finasterida é altamente eficaz na redução da DHT circulante e intraprostática.
A finasterida não tem afinidade pelo receptor androgênico.
No Estudo de Segurança e Eficácia a Longo Prazo, o efeito da terapia com finasterida nos eventos urológicos relacionados à HPB [intervenção cirúrgica (por exemplo, ressecção transuretral da próstata e prostatectomia) ou retenção urinária que requer cateterização] foi avaliado durante um período de 4 anos em 3016 pacientes com sintomas moderados a graves de HPB. Neste estudo duplo-cego, randômico, controlado com placebo e multicêntrico, o tratamento com finasterida reduziu o risco de eventos urológicos em 51% e foi também associado à regressão acentuada e mantida do volume da próstata e a um aumento mantido do fluxo urinário e melhora dos sintomas.

CARCINOGÊNESE, MUTAGÊNESE E FERTILIDADE
Não foi observada evidência de efeito carcinogênico em estudo de 24 meses de duração em ratos recebendo doses de finasterida de até 320 mg/kg/dia (3200 vezes a dose recomendada de 5 mg/dia para o homem).
Em um estudo de carcinogenicidade de 19 meses de duração em camundongos, foi observado aumento estatisticamente significativo (p  0,05) na incidência de adenoma de célula de Leydig testicular com doses de 250 mg/kg/dia (2500 vezes a dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem); não foram observados adenomas em camundongos recebendo doses de 2,5 ou 25 mg/kg/dia (25 a 250 vezes a dose recomendada para o homem de 5 mg/dia, respectivamente).
Em camundongos recebendo doses de 25 mg/kg/dia e em ratos recebendo doses maiores ou iguais a 40 mg/kg/dia (250 e  400 vezes a dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem, respectivamente), foi observado aumento da incidência de hiperplasia da célula de Leydig.
Foi demonstrada correlação positiva entre as alterações proliferativas das células de Leydig e o aumento dos níveis (2-3 vezes acima do controle) de hormônio luteinizante (LH) em ambas as espécies de roedores tratadas com altas doses de finasterida. Este fato sugere que as alterações das células de Leydig são conseqüência dos níveis elevados de LH no soro e não a um efeito direto da finasterida.
Não foram observadas alterações das células de Leydig relacionadas à droga, nem em ratos nem em cães tratados com finasterida durante 1 ano, com doses de 20 mg/kg/dia e 45 mg/kg/dia (200 e 450 vezes a dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem, respectivamente) nem em camundongos tratados por 19 meses com doses de 2,5 mg/kg/dia (25 vezes a dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem).
Não foi observada evidência de mutagênese em testes de mutagênese bacteriana in vitro, em testes de mutagênese em células de mamíferos ou em teste de eluição alcalina in vitro. Em teste de aberração cromossômica in vitro, quando células de ovário de hamster chinês foram tratadas com altas  doses de finasterida (450-500 ìmol), houve ligeiro aumento de aberrações cromossômicas. Essas concentrações correspondem a 4000-5000 vezes os picos dos níveis plasmáticos em um homem recebendo dose total de 5 mg. Ainda, as concentrações (450-550 ìmol) utilizadas nos estudos in vitro não podem ser atingidas em um sistema biológico.
Em um estudo de aberração cromossômica in vivo, em camundongos, não foram observados aumentos de aberração cromossômica relacionados ao tratamento com finasterida nas doses máximas toleradas (250 mg/kg/dia; 2500 vezes a dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem).
Em coelhos do sexo masculino, sexualmente maduros, tratados com 80 mg/kg/dia de finasterida (800 vezes a dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem) por até 12 semanas, não foi observado efeito na fertilidade, na contagem de espermatozóides nem no volume do ejaculado.
Em ratos do sexo masculino, sexualmente maduros, tratados com a mesma dose de finasterida, não se observou efeitos significativos na fertilidade após 6 ou 12 semanas de tratamento; contudo, quando o tratamento se prolongava até 24 a 30 semanas, houve aparente redução na fertilidade e na fecundidade, juntamente com decréscimo significativo, nos pesos das vesículas seminais e da próstata. Todos os efeitos foram reversíveis em um período de 6 semanas após interrupção do tratamento.
O decréscimo na fertilidade de ratos tratados com finasterida é secundário ao seu efeito sobre os órgãos sexuais acessórios (próstata e vesículas seminais) resultando na deficiência de formação do tampão seminal.
O tampão seminal é essencial para a fertilidade normal em ratos e não é relevante no homem que não forma tampão copulatório. Não foi observado efeito relacionado à droga, nos testículos ou na performance sexual de ratos e coelhos.
Observou-se desenvolvimento de hipospadia relacionada à dose na prole do sexo masculino de ratas grávidas que receberam finasterida em doses que  variaram de 100 ìg/kg/dia a 100 mg/kg/dia (1 a 1000 vezes a dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem), numa incidência de 3,6 a 100 %. Adicionalmente, na prole do sexo masculino havia ratos com pesos da próstata e das vesículas seminais reduzidos, separação retardada do prepúcio e desenvolvimento transitório do mamilo em ratos que receberam finasterida em doses maiores ou iguais a 30 ìg/kg/dia ( 30% da dose de 5 mg/dia recomendad a para o homem), e distância anogenital reduzida, quando recebendo doses maiores ou iguais a 3 ìg/kg/dia (> 3% da dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem).
O período crítico durante o qual estes efeitos podem ser induzidos foi definido em ratos, como sendo aos 16-17 dias da gestação.
As alterações descritas acima são efeitos farmacológicos esperados dos inibidores da 5-á-redutase do tipo II. Muitas das alterações, tais como hipospadias, observadas em ratos machos expostos à finasterida in utero, são semelhantes aos relatados em meninos com deficiência genética de 5-á-redutase do tipo  II. Não foram observados efeitos em recém-nascidos do sexo feminino expostos in utero a qualquer dose de finasterida.
A administração de finasterida em ratos durante o final da gestação e no período de lactação, resulta em leve redução da fertilidade na primeira geração de recém-nascidos do sexo masculino (3 mg/kg/dia; 30 vezes a dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem).
Não se observaram anormalidades de desenvolvimento na primeira geração de recém-nascidos machos ou fêmeas resultantes do cruzamento com ratos do sexo masculino tratados com finasterida (80 mg/kg/dia; 800 vezes a dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem) com ratas não tratadas.
Não se observou evidência de má formação em fetos de coelhos expostos in utero, no período de 6-18 dias de gestação a doses de finasterida de até 100 mg/kg/dia (1000 vezes a dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem).
Os efeitos in utero da exposição à finasterida, durante o período embrionário e de desenvolvimento fetal, foram avaliados no macaco rhesus (20-100 dias de gestação), espécie mais semelhante ao homem em termos de desenvolvimento do que ratos ou coelhos. A administração intravenosa de finasterida à macacas grávidas em doses altas como 800 mg/dia (pelo menos 60 a 120 vezes a mais alta exposição estimada de mulheres grávidas à finasterida do sêmen de homens tomando 5 mg/dia) não resultou em anormalidades nos fetos machos.
Confirmando a relevância do modelo rhesus para o desenvolvimento fetal humano, a administração oral de uma dose muito alta de finasterida (2 mg/kg/dia; 20 vezes a dose de 5 mg/dia recomendada para o homem ou aproximadamente 1-2 milhões de vezes a mais alta exposição estimada de finasterida do sêmen de homens tomando 5 mg/dia) à macacas grávidas, resultou em anormalidades da genitália externa em fetos do sexo masculino.
Nenhuma outra anormalidade foi observada em fetos do sexo masculino e nenhuma anormalidade relacionada à finasterida foi observada em fetos do sexo feminino em qualquer dose.

Indicações da Finasterida

Finasterida é indicada para o tratamento e controle da hiperplasia prostática benigna (HPB) e para a prevenção de eventos urológicos para:
•  reduzir o risco de retenção urinária aguda; 
  •  reduzir o risco de cirurgias, incluindo ressecção transuretral da próstata e prostatectomia.
Pacientes que apresentam próstata hipertrofiada são os candidatos adequados para a terapia com finasterida.

Contra-Indicações da Finasterida


FINASTERIDA É CONTRA-INDICADA NOS SEGUINTES CASOS:
•  HIPERSENSIBILIDADE CONHECIDA A FINASTERIDA E/OU A QUALQUER COMPONENTE DA FORMULAÇÃO;
•  A MULHERES E CRIANÇAS
•  MULHERES GRÁVIDAS OU QUE POSSAM ENGRAVIDAR (VIDE " PRECAUÇÕES E ADVERTÊNCIAS" ).

Precauções e Advertências da Finasterida

GERAIS
PACIENTES COM GRANDES VOLUMES URINÁRIOS RESIDUAIS E/OU FLUXO URINÁRIO DRASTICAMENTE REDUZIDO, DEVERÃO SER CUIDADOSAMENTE MONITORIZADOS QUANTO À UROPATIA OBSTRUTIVA.
EFEITOS NO PSA E DETECÇÃO DE CÂNCER NA PRÓSTATA
NENHUM BENEFÍCIO CLÍNICO FOI DEMONSTRADO AINDA EM PACIENTES COM CÂNCER DE PRÓSTATA TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA.
PACIENTES COM HPB E NÍVEIS ELEVADOS DE PSA FORAM MONITORIZADOS EM ESTUDOS CLÍNICOS CONTROLADOS COM DOSES EM SÉRIE DO PSA E BIÓPSIAS DA PRÓSTATA. NESSES ESTUDO, FINASTERIDA NÃO DEMONSTROU ALTERARA TAXA DE DETECÇÃO DE CÂNCER DE PRÓSTATA.
A INCIDÊNCIA TOTAL DE CÂNCER DE PRÓSTATA NÃO FOI SIGNIFICATIVAMENTE DIFERENTE EM PACIENTES TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA OU PLACEBO.
RECOMENDA-SE A REALIZAÇÃO DE TOQUE RETAL BEM COMO DE OUTRAS AVALIAÇÕES PARA DETECÇÃO DO CÂNCER DA PRÓSTATA, ANTES DO INÍCIO DA TERAPIA COM FINASTERIDA E PERIODICAMENTE DURANTE O TRATAMENTO. A CONCENTRAÇÃO DE ANTÍGENO ESPECÍFICO PROSTÁTICO (PSA) NO SORO É TAMBÉM UTILIZADA PARA A DETECÇÃO DO CÂNCER DE PRÓSTATA.
EM GERAL, UM VALOR DE PSA >10 NG/ML (" HYBRITECH" ) INDICA AVALIAÇÕES POSTERIORES E EVENTUAL BIÓPSIA. PARA NÍVEIS DE PSA ENTRE 4 E 10 NG/ML, ACONSELHA-SE MAIORES AVALIAÇÕES. HÁ CONSIDERÁVEL SUPERPOSIÇÃO NOS NÍVEIS DE PSA EM HOMENS COM E SEM CÂNCER DE PRÓSTATA. ALÉM DISSO, EM HOMENS COM HPB, OS VALORES DE PSA, DENTRO DOS VALORES NORMAIS DE REFERÊNCIA, NÃO DESCARTAM CÂNCER DE PRÓSTATA INDEPENDENTEMENTE DO TRATAMENTO COM FINASTERIDA. UM VALOR BASAL DE PSA < 4 NG/ML NÃO EXCLUI O CÂNCER DA PRÓSTATA.
FINASTERIDA PROVOCA REDUÇÃO DE CERCA DE 50% NAS CONCENTRAÇÕES SÉRICAS DE PSA EM PACIENTES COM HPB, MESMO NA PRESENÇA DE CÂNCER DA PRÓSTATA. ESTA REDUÇÃO DOS NÍVEIS DE PSA EM PACIENTES COM HPB TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA DEVE SER CONSIDERADA QUANDO SE AVALIAR DADOS DE PSA E NÃO EXCLUI A POSSIBILIDADE DE OCORRÊNCIA CONCOMITANTE DE CÂNCER DE PRÓSTATA. ESTA REDUÇÃO É PREVISÍVEL EM TODAS AS FAIXAS DE VALORES DE PSA, EMBORA POSSA VARIAR EM CADA PACIENTE.
A ANÁLISE DE DADOS DE PSA DE MAIS DE 3000 PACIENTES NO ESTUDO DE SEGURANÇA E EFICÁCIA A LONGO PRAZO DE FINASTERIDA, DE 4 ANOS, DUPLO-CEGO E CONTROLADO COM PLACEBO, CONFIRMOU QUE EM PACIENTES TÍPICOS TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA POR SEIS MESES OU MAIS, OS VALORES DE PSA DEVERIAM SER DUPLICADOS PARA COMPARAÇÃO COM OS VALORES NORMAIS DE PACIENTES NÃO TRATADOS. ESTE AJUSTE PRESERVA A SENSIBILIDADE E ESPECIFICIDADE DO ENSAIO DE PSA E CONSERVA SUA CAPACIDADE DE DETECTAR CÂNCER DE PRÓSTATA.
QUALQUER AUMENTO SUSTENTADO NOS NÍVEIS DE PSA EM PACIENTES TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA DEVE SER CUIDADOSAMENTE AVALIADO, INCLUSIVE QUANTO À NÃO ADERÊNCIA AO TRATAMENTO COM FINASTERIDA.
INTERAÇÕES MEDICAMENTOSAS E DE TESTES DE LABORATÓRIO

EFEITOS SOBRE OS NÍVEIS DE PSA
A CONCENTRAÇÃO SÉRICA DE PSA ESTÁ CORRELACIONADA COM A IDADE DO PACIENTE E AO VOLUME DA PRÓSTATA E, O VOLUME DA PRÓSTATA ESTÁ CORRELACIONADO COM A IDADE DO PACIENTE. QUANDO SE AVALIAM AS DETERMINAÇÕES LABORATORIAIS DE PSA DEVE-SE CONSIDERAR QUE OS NÍVEIS DE PSA DECRESCEM EM PACIENTES TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA.
NA MAIORIA DOS PACIENTES, OBSERVA-SE RÁPIDA REDUÇÃO NOS NÍVEIS DE PSA NOS PRIMEIROS MESES DE TERAPIA, E A PARTIR DAÍ, ESTES NÍVEIS ESTABILIZAM-SE PARA UM NOVO VALOR BASAL. OS VALORES BASAIS PÓS-TRATAMENTO SÃO PRÓXIMOS DA METADE DOS VALORES ANTERIORES AO TRATAMENTO. DESSE MODO, EM PACIENTES TÍPICOS TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA POR SEIS MESES OU MAIS, OS NÍVEIS DE PSA DEVEM SER DUPLICADOS PARA COMPARAÇÃO COM OS VALORES NORMAIS DE PACIENTES NÃO TRATADOS.

USO DURANTE A GRAVIDEZ E LACTAÇÃO
FINASTERIDA É CONTRA-INDICADA EM MULHERES GRÁVIDAS OU QUE POSSAM ENGRAVIDAR (VIDE " CONTRA- INDICAÇÕES" ).
DEVIDO À CAPACIDADE DOS INIBIDORES DA 5-Á-REDUTASE DO TIPO II DE INIBIR A CONVERSÃO DE TESTOSTERONA EM DIIDROTESTOSTERONA, ESTAS DROGAS, INCLUINDO A FINASTERIDA, PODEM CAUSAR ANORMALIDADES NA GENITÁLIA EXTERNA DE FETOS DO SEXO MASCULINO, QUANDO ADMINISTRADAS A UMA MULHER GRÁVIDA . FINASTERIDA NÃO É INDICADA PARA MULHERES. NÃO SE SABE SE A FINASTERIDA É EXCRETADA NO LEITE MATERNO.

USO PEDIÁTRICO

FINASTERIDA NÃO É INDICADA PARA CRIANÇAS. AINDA NÃO FORAM ESTABELECIDAS A EFICÁCIA E A SEGURANÇA EM CRIANÇAS.

EXPOSIÇÃO À FINASTERIDA - RISCO PARA OS FETOS DO SEXO MASCULINO

MULHERES NÃO DEVEM MANUSEAR COMPRIMIDOS DE FINASTERIDA ESFARELADOS OU QUEBRADOS QUANDO ESTIVEREM GRÁVIDAS OU PUDEREM ENGRAVIDAR, DEVIDO A POSSIBILIDADE DE ABSORÇÃO DA FINASTERIDA E DO RISCO POTENCIA L SUBSEQÜENTE PARA O FETO DO SEXO MASCULINO (VIDE " USO DURANTE A GRAVIDEZ E LACTAÇÃO" ).
OS COMPRIMIDOS DE FINASTERIDA SÃO REVESTIDOS E O CONTATO COM A SUBSTÂNCIA ATIVA SERÁ EVITADO DURANTE O MANUSEIO NORMAL, SE OS COMPRIMIDOS NÃO ESTIVEREM QUEBRADOS OU ESFARELADOS.

EFEITOS SOBRE A HABILIDADE DE DIRIGIR VEÍCULOS E/OU OPERAR MÁQUINAS

NÃO HÁ EVIDÊNCIAS DE QUE FINASTERIDA DIMINUA A HABILIDADE DE DIRIGIR VEÍCULOS E/OU OPERAR MÁQUINAS.

Interações Medicamentosas da Finasterida


NÃO FORAM IDENTIFICADAS INTERAÇÕES MEDICAMENTOSAS DE IMPORTÂNCIA CLÍNICA. FINASTERIDA NÃO PARECE AFETAR SIGNIFICATIVAMENTE O SISTEMA METABOLIZADOR DE DROGAS LIGADO AO CITOCROMO P450.
OS COMPOSTOS TESTADOS EM HUMANOS INCLUEM PROPRANOLOL, DIGOXINA, GLIBURIDA, VARFARINA, TEOFILINA E ANTIPIRINA E NENHUMA INTERAÇÃO CLINICAMENTE SIGNIFICANTE FOI ENCONTRADA.
EMBORA NÃO TENHAM SIDO REALIZADOS ESTUDOS ESPECÍFICOS DE INTERAÇÃO, FINASTERIDA FOI UTILIZADA EM ESTUDOS CLÍNICOS CONCOMITANTEMENTE COM INIBIDORES DA ENZIMA CONVERSORA DA ANGIOTENSINA (ECA), ACETAMINOFEN, ÁCIDO ACETILSALICÍLICO, ALFA-BLOQUEADORES, BETA-BLOQUEADORES, BLOQUEADORES DOS CANAIS DE CÁLCIO, NITRATOS, DIURÉTICOS, ANTAGONISTAS H2, INIBIDORES DA HMG-COA REDUTASE, ANTIINFLAMATÓRIOS NÃO-ESTERÓIDES, QUINOLONAS E BENZODIAZEPÍNICOS, SEM EVIDÊNCIA DE INTERAÇÕES ADVERSAS CLINICAMENTE SIGNIFICATIVAS.

Reações Adversas da Finasterida

FINASTERIDA É BEM TOLERADA.
NO PLESS, 1524 PACIENTES TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA 5 MG POR DIA E 1516 PACIENTES TRATADOS COM PLACEBO FORAM AVALIADOS SOB O PONTO DE VISTA DE SEGURANÇA POR UM PERÍODO DE 4 ANOS. CERCA DE 4.9 % DOS PACIENTES (74 PACIENTES ) DESCONTINUARAM O TRATAMENTO DEVIDO AOS EFEITOS ADVERSOS ASSOCIADOS A FINASTERIDA COMPARADOS COM 3.3% (50 PACIENTES ) TRATADOS COM PLACEBO. CERCA DE 3.7 % DOS PACIENTES (57 PACIENTES ) TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA E 2.1% (32 PACIENTES ) TRATADOS COM PLACEBO DESCONTINUARAM A TERAPIA DEVIDO A EFEITOS ADVERSOS RELACIONADOS À FUNÇÃO SEXUAL, QUE FORAM OS EFEITOS ADVERSOS MAIS FREQUENTEMENTE RELATADOS.
AS ÚNICAS EXPERIÊNCIAS ADVERSAS CLÍNICAS CONSIDERADAS COMO POSSÍVEL, PROVÁVEL OU DEFINITIVAMENTE RELACIONADAS À DROGA PELO INVESTIGADOR, CUJA INCIDÊNCIA COM FINASTERIDA FOI  1% E MAIOR DO QUE COM O PLACEBO DURANTE OS 4 ANOS DO ESTUDO, FORAM AS RELACIONADAS À FUNÇÃO SEXUAL, DORES NAS MAMAS E ERUPÇÕES CUTÂNEAS. NO PRIMEIRO ANO DO ESTUDO, IMPOTÊNCIA FOI RELATADA EM 8.1% DOS PACIENTES TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA VS. 3.7% DOS PACIENTES QUE RECEBERAM PLACEBO; DIMINUIÇÃO DA LIBIDO FOI RELATADA EM 6.4 VS. 3.4% E DISTÚRBIOS DA EJACULAÇÃO EM 0.8 VS. 0.1%, RESPECTIVAMENTE. NOS 2° E 4° ANOS DO ESTUDO, NÃO HOUVE DIFERENÇA SIGNIFICATIVA ENTRE OS GRUPOS DE TRATAMENTO NAS INCIDÊNCIAS DESTES TRÊS EFEITOS.
AS INCIDÊNCIAS CUMULATIVAS NOS 2° E 4° ANOS FORAM: IMPOTÊNCIA (5.1% COM FINASTERIDA; 5.1% COM PLACEBO); DIMINUIÇÃO DA LIBIDO (2.6%; 2.6%) E DISTÚRBIOS DA EJACULAÇÃO (0.2%; 0.1%). NO PRIMEIRO ANO DE ESTUDO, FOI RELATADA DIMINUIÇÃO DO VOLUME DE EJACULADO EM 3.7 E 0.8% DOS PACIENTES TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA E PLACEBO, RESPECTIVAMENTE; NOS 2° E 4° ANOS A INCIDÊNCIA CUMULATIVA FOI 1.5% COM FINASTERIDA E 0.5% COM PLACEBO.
NO PRIMEIRO ANO DE ESTUDO TAMBÉM FORAM RELATADAS GINECOMASTIA (0.5%; 0.1%), FLACIDEZ DA MAMA (0.4%; 0.1%) E ERUPÇÃO CUTÂNEA (0.5%; 0.2%). NOS 2° E 4° ANOS, AS INCIDÊNCIAS CUMULATIVAS FORAM: GINECOMASTIA (1.8%; 1.1%), FLACIDEZ DA MAMA (0.7%; 0.3%) E ERUPÇÃO CUTÂNEA (0.5%; 0.2%).
O PERFIL DE EFEITOS ADVERSOS DOS ESTUDOS FASE III COM 1 ANO DE DURAÇÃO, CONTROLADOS COM PLACEBO E NAS EXTENSÕES DE 5 ANOS, INCLUINDO 853 PACIENTES TRATADOS DURANTE 5 A 6 ANOS, FOI SIMILAR AO RELATADO NO 2° E 4° ANOS DO PLESS. NÃO HÁ EVIDÊNCIA DE AUMENTO DE EFEITOS ADVERSOS COM O AUMENTO DA DURAÇÃO DO TRATAMENTO COM FINASTERIDA.
A INCIDÊNCIA DE NOVAS EXPERIÊNCIAS ADVERSAS SEXUAIS RELACIONADAS À DROGA DIMINUIU COM A DURAÇÃO DO TRATAMENTO.
O EFEITO COLATERAL RELATADO APÓS A COMERCIALIZAÇÃO DO PRODUTO FOI REAÇÃO DE HIPERSENSIBILIDADE, INCLUINDO EDEMA LABIAL.
ACHADOS LABORATORIAIS
AO SE AVALIAR AS DETERMINAÇÕES LABORATORIAIS DE PSA, DEVE-SE CONSIDERAR O FATO DE QUE PACIENTES TRATADOS COM FINASTERIDA TÊM SEUS NÍVEIS DE PSA REDUZIDOS (VIDE " PRECAUÇÕES E ADVERTÊNCIAS" ).
NÃO FORAM OBSERVADAS OUTRAS DIFERENÇAS NOS PADRÕES DE PARÂMETROS LABORATORIAIS EM PACIENTES TRATADOS COM PLACEBO OU FINASTERIDA.

Posologia e Administraçâo da Finasterida


A posologia recomendada é de 1 comprimido de 5 mg diariamente, com ou sem alimentos.
Posologia para pacientes com insuficiência renal
Não é necessário ajuste posológico em pacientes com graus variados de insuficiência renal (depuração de creatinina de até 9 mL/min), pois os estudos de farmacocinética não indicaram qualquer alteração da biodisponibilidade da finasterida.

Superdosagem da Finasterida

Alguns pacientes receberam doses únicas de Finasterida de até 400 mg e doses múltiplas de até 80 mg/dia durante três meses, sem efeitos adversos.
Não há recomendação de qualquer terapia específica para a superdosagem com Finasterida.

Pacientes Idosos da Finasterida


Não é necessário ajuste posológico, embora estudos de farmacocinética tenham demonstrado que a eliminação da finasterida é diminuída em pacientes com mais de 70 anos de idade.

Nanowire bridging transistors open way to next-generation electronics

 

May 14, 2014

University of California - Davis

Combining atoms of semiconductor materials into nanowires and structures on top of silicon surfaces shows promise for a new generation of fast, robust electronic and photonic devices. Scientists have recently demonstrated three-dimensional nanowire transistors using this approach that open exciting opportunities for integrating other semiconductors, such as gallium nitride, on silicon substrates.


Nanowires grown on silicon.

A new approach to integrated circuits, combining atoms of semiconductor materials into nanowires and structures on top of silicon surfaces, shows promise for a new generation of fast, robust electronic and photonic devices. Engineers at the University of California, Davis, have recently demonstrated three-dimensional nanowire transistors using this approach that open exciting opportunities for integrating other semiconductors, such as gallium nitride, on silicon substrates.

"Silicon can't do everything," said Saif Islam, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC Davis. Circuits built on conventionally etched silicon have reached their lower size limit, which restricts operation speed and integration density. Additionally, conventional silicon circuits cannot function at temperatures above 250 degrees Celsius (about 480 degrees Fahrenheit), or handle high power or voltages, or optical applications.

The new technology could be used, for example, to build sensors that can operate under high temperatures, for example inside aircraft engines.

"In the foreseeable future, society will be dependent on a variety of sensors and control systems that operate in extreme environments, such as motor vehicles, boats, airplanes, terrestrial oil and ore extraction, rockets, spacecraft, and bodily implants," Islam said.

Devices that include both silicon and nonsilicon materials offer higher speeds and more robust performance. Conventional microcircuits are formed from etched layers of silicon and insulators, but it's difficult to grow nonsilicon materials as layers over silicon because of incompatibilities in crystal structure (or "lattice mismatch") and differences in thermal properties.

Instead, Islam's laboratory at UC Davis has created silicon wafers with "nanopillars" of materials such as gallium arsenide, gallium nitride or indium phosphide on them, and grown tiny nanowire "bridges" between nanopillars.

"We can't grow films of these other materials on silicon, but we can grow them as nanowires," Islam said.

The researchers have been able to make these nanowires operate as transistors, and combine them into more complex circuits as well as devices that are responsive to light. They have developed techniques to control the number of nanowires, their physical characteristics and consistency.

Islam said the suspended structures have other advantages: They are easier to cool and handle thermal expansion better than planar structures -- a relevant issue when mismatched materials are combined in a transistor.

The technology also leverages the well-established technology for manufacturing silicon integrated circuits, instead of having to create an entirely new route for manufacturing and distribution, Islam said.


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of California - Davis. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Jin Yong Oh, Jong-Tae Park, Hyun-June Jang, Won-Ju Cho, M. Saif Islam. 3D-Transistor Array Based on Horizontally Suspended Silicon Nano-bridges Grown via a Bottom-Up Technique. Advanced Materials, 2014; 26 (12): 1929 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201304245

Unhealthy food taxes vital to fight obesity: U.N. investigator

 

A boy holds a hamburger made with a doughnut bun at the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, California September 4, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

 

(Reuters) - Unhealthy diets pose a greater risk to global health than the increasingly regulated sale of tobacco and governments should move fast to tax harmful food products, a United Nations investigator said on Monday.

In a statement issued on the opening of the annual summit of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Belgian professor Olivier de Schutter called for efforts to launch negotiations on a global pact to tackle the obesity epidemic.

"Unhealthy diets are now a greater threat to global health than tobacco. Just as the world came together to regulate the risks of tobacco, a bold framework convention on adequate diets must now be agreed," he said.

De Schutter, who has held his post of special rapporteur on the right to food since 2008 and earlier headed the Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights, reports to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.

In 2005, a U.N. convention on tobacco control aimed at reducing deaths and health problems caused by the product went into force after long negotiations under the umbrella of the WHO.

In a report to the rights council in 2012, de Schutter said a similar accord on food should include taxing unhealthy products, regulating food high in saturated fats, salt and sugar, and "cracking down on junk food advertising."

That report also called for an overhaul on the system of farm subsidies "that make certain ingredients cheaper than others", and for support for local production "so that consumers have access to healthy, fresh and nutritious foods."

In his Monday statement, issued through the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, de Schutter said any attempts to promote better diets and combat obesity "will only work if the food systems underpinning them are put right.

"Governments have been focusing on increasing calories availability, but they have often been indifferent to what kind of calories are on offer, at what price, to whom they are made available, and how they are marketed."

Such measures, he declared, "are essential to ensure that people are protected from aggressive misinformation campaigns."

Diabetics: Two large meals better than 6 small meals with same calories for controlling weight, blood sugar

 

May 15, 2014

Two large meals (breakfast and lunch), rather than six small meals with the same total calories, are better for controlling weight and blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, research shows. "Novel therapeutic strategies should incorporate not only the energy and macronutrient content but also the frequency and timing of food. Further larger scale, long-term studies are essential before offering recommendations in terms of meal frequency," the researchers conclude.


Research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) suggests that two large meals (breakfast and lunch), rather than six small meals with the same total calories, are better for controlling weight and blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. The research is by Dr Hana Kahleová, Diabetes Centre, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic, and colleagues.

The study assessed 54 patients (29 men, 25 women) treated with oral diabetes drugs, aged 30-70 years, BMI 27-50 kg/m2 and HbA1c of 6-11.8% (42-105 mmol/mol). They were asked to follow one of two regimens of a restricted calorie diet, each containing 500 calories less than the recommended daily amount; in one programme the meals were six small meals (A6) and the other 2 large meals, breakfast and lunch (B2). In this cross-over trial, the 54 participants were divided into 2 groups of 27, with each group doing one of the two programmes for 12 weeks, and then after finishing moving on to the other programme, again for 12 weeks. The diet in both regimens had the same macronutrient and calorie content. Liver fat content, insulin sensitivity and pancreatic beta cell function (the cells that produce insulin) were measured using a variety of techniques and mathematical modelling.

The researchers found that body weight decreased in both regimens, more for B2 (-3.7kg) than for A6 (-2.3kg). Liver fat content decreased in response to both regimens, more for B2 (-0.04%) than for A6 (-0.03%). Fasting plasma glucose and C-peptide levels decreased in both regimens, again more for B2. Fasting plasma glucagon (the hormone that converts glycogen back to glucose) decreased with the B2 regimen, whereas it increased for the A6 regimen. Oral glucose insulin sensitivity (OGIS) increased in both regimens, more for B2. No adverse events were observed for either regimen.

The authors say: "Eating only breakfast and lunch reduced body weight, liver fat content, fasting plasma glucose, C-peptide and glucagon, and increased OGIS, more than the same caloric restriction split into six meals. These results suggest that, for type 2 diabetic patients on a calorie-restricted diet, eating larger breakfasts and lunches may be more beneficial than six smaller meals during the day."

They add: "Novel therapeutic strategies should incorporate not only the energy and macronutrient content but also the frequency and timing of food. Further larger scale, long-term studies are essential before offering recommendations in terms of meal frequency."


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Diabetologia. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Hana Kahleová et al. Eating two larger meals a day (breakfast and lunch) is more effective than six smaller meals in a reduced-energy regimen for patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomised crossover study. Diabetologia, May 2014 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-014-3253-5

Marijuana use involved in more fatal accidents since commercialization of medical marijuana

 

 

May 15, 2014

University of Colorado Denver

The proportion of marijuana-positive drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes in Colorado has increased dramatically since the commercialization of medical marijuana in the middle of 2009, according to a study. The study raises important concerns about the increase in the proportion of drivers in a fatal motor vehicle crash who were marijuana-positive since the commercialization of medical marijuana in Colorado, particularly in comparison to the 34 non-medical marijuana states.


The proportion of marijuana-positive drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes in Colorado has increased dramatically since the commercialization of medical marijuana in the middle of 2009, according to a study by University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers.

With data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System covering 1994 to 2011, the researchers analyzed fatal motor vehicle crashes in Colorado and in the 34 states that did not have medical marijuana laws, comparing changes over time in the proportion of drivers who were marijuana-positive and alcohol-impaired.

The researchers found that fatal motor vehicle crashes in Colorado involving at least one driver who tested positive for marijuana accounted for 4.5 percent in the first six months of 1994; this percentage increased to 10 percent in the last six months of 2011. They reported that Colorado underwent a significant increase in the proportion of drivers in a fatal motor vehicle crash who were marijuana-positive after the commercialization of medical marijuana in the middle of 2009. The increase in Colorado was significantly greater compared to the 34 non-medical marijuana states from mid-2009 to 2011. The researchers also reported no significant changes over time in the proportion of drivers in a fatal motor vehicle crash who were alcohol-impaired within Colorado and comparing Colorado to the 34 non-medical marijuana states.

Stacy Salomonsen-Sautel, Ph.D, who was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmacology, is the lead author of the study, which is available online in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Christian Hopfer, MD, associate professor of psychiatry, is the senior author.

Salomonsen-Sautel said the study raises important concerns about the increase in the proportion of drivers in a fatal motor vehicle crash who were marijuana-positive since the commercialization of medical marijuana in Colorado, particularly in comparison to the 34 non-medical marijuana states. While the study does not determine cause and effect relationships, such as whether marijuana-positive drivers caused or contributed to the fatal crashes, it indicates a need for better education and prevention programs to curb impaired driving.


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Colorado Denver. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Stacy Salomonsen-Sautel, Sung-Joon Min, Joseph T. Sakai, Christian Thurstone, Christian Hopfer. Trends in fatal motor vehicle crashes before and after marijuana commercialization in Colorado. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.04.008

Complex interactions may matter most for longevity

 


David Rand, left, and Chen-Tseh Zhu managed 18 different lines of fruit flies, feeding groups from each line five different diets. They were able to examine the effects on longevity of three different elements: diet, mitochondrial DNA, and nuclear DNA.

If studying a single gene or a diet that might extend longevity is like searching for a fountain of youth, then a new study calls for looking at something more like the whole watershed. Brown University biologists who experimentally throttled three such factors in fruit flies found that lifespan depended more on interactions among the factors than on the factors themselves.

"I think the main lesson is that these interaction effects are as significant or important as the [single] effects, such as diet effects alone or genetic effect alone," said David Rand, professor of biology and senior author of the study published in the journal PLoS Genetics. "Traditionally that's what people have focused on: looking for a gene that extends longevity or a diet that extends longevity."

When researchers have looked at single or even pairs of factors in a wide variety of organisms, they've made many valuable findings about the biology of aging, Rand said. But sometimes scientists have been unable to replicate each other's findings in seemingly similar experiments. Often this is attributed to mysterious "background effects," presumably other genes that were not properly accounted for. The new study chose to put such background effects into the foreground to examine dietary effects on aging in several panels of different nuclear and mitochondrial genetic pairings.

The study's results suggest that many observed effects of calorie or diet restriction or different genes on lifespan may depend on a more intricate context than has been understood so far.

Rather than despairing that combinatorial interactions of diets, nuclear genes, and mitochondrial genes make the underlying biology of aging intractably complex, Rand and lead author Chen-Tseh Zhu said studies that explicitly embrace such multifactorial interactions can lead researchers to understand the inherent biological complexity of the aging process: Many genes, many cells, and many environments all contribute to the aging process. With such observations they could then trace which mitochondrial genes moderate which nuclear genes in response to a particular diet.

"Focused studies of single factors that prove unrepeatable in different backgrounds are not general results," Rand said. "But the interaction between these factors may get us closer to generalities."

Zhu makes an analogy to personalized medicine, in which doctors and scientists hope that by digging deeper into a person's genomic details, they'll be able to predict whether specific drugs can be targeted to individuals with particular combinations of genes, thus avoiding dangerous side effects or producing better treatment.

"Personalized genomic medicine is not to disprove what has been done in medicine so far, but to bring it to another level so that in the future when you are going to design the best medication for a given person you want to investigate their genes and their metabolism," said Zhu, a postdoctoral scholar. "A combination of factors brings you more information."

Complicated combinations

For the study Rand, Zhu and undergraduate co-author Paul Ingelmo generated 18 lines of flies by mixing and matching different mitochondrial and nuclear genomes in individuals from two different species. Then they fed members of each of those fly populations from a menu of five different diets. Some diets held calories constant but varied the balance between yeast (protein) and sugar (carbs), while some diets varied the total calories but kept the proportions of nutrients constant.

In several cases described in the paper, the team saw how interactions among the three factors they manipulated could produce results that would thoroughly frustrate people who were too focused on just one factor.

For example, in flies with the "w1118" nuclear genome and the "OreR" mitochondrial genome, lifespan was greatest with the high-sugar, low-yeast diet and significantly worse with the diet that balanced yeast and sugar evenly. But for flies with the same nuclear genome but the "Zim" mitochondrial genome, the balanced diet was just as good, if not slightly better than the high-sugar, low-yeast meals.

So is it time to recommend that w1118 flies buzz over to the candy store for diet five? That, it turns out, depends on their mitochondrial genome, according to the research.

Another illustrative finding was that the sirt1 nuclear gene, which is an important but controversial gene in aging research, Rand said, shows different effects on longevity given different mitochondrial genomes.

Future work can focus on tracing the physiological and biochemical pathways suggested by these multidimensional interactions, Rand said.

"What this does is identify genetic interactions that themselves are modified by diet," Rand said. "It just means we have to drill down on these things and understand how the various genes that affect aging interact with one another. If you get the right combination of genes, you might be able to map a two-gene response to different diets right down to individual molecules 'talking to each other' in different ways."


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Brown University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Chen-Tseh Zhu, Paul Ingelmo, David M. Rand. G×G×E for Lifespan in Drosophila: Mitochondrial, Nuclear, and Dietary Interactions that Modify Longevity. PLoS Genetics, 2014; 10 (5): e1004354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004354

Walking may have profound benefits for patients with kidney disease

 

May 15, 2014

American Society of Nephrology (ASN)

Among patients with chronic kidney disease who were followed for an average of 1.3 years, those who walked for exercise were 33% less likely to die and 21% less likely to need dialysis or a kidney transplant. Physical inactivity is common among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The researchers found that the presence of other, or comorbid, conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes was similar between walking and non-walking patients.


Just over 21% of patients reported walking as their most common form of exercise. During follow-up, those who walked were 33% less likely to die and 21% less likely to need dialysis or a kidney transplant.

For individuals with kidney disease, walking may help prolong life and reduce the risk of needing dialysis or a kidney transplant. That's the conclusion of a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

Physical inactivity is common among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Che-Yi Chou MD, PhD, Chiz-Tzung Chang, PhD (China Medical University Hospital, in Taiwan) and their colleagues looked to see if an activity as simple as walking might provide benefits to patients. The researchers studied all 6,363 patients with CKD stages 3 to 5 in the CKD program of China Medical University Hospital from June 2003 to May 2013. Patients were an average of 70 years old, and they were followed for an average of 1.3 years.

Just over 21% of patients reported walking as their most common form of exercise. During follow-up, those who walked were 33% less likely to die and 21% less likely to need dialysis or a kidney transplant. The more patients walked, the more they benefited. Compared with those who did not walk, patients who walked 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and ≥ 7 times per week were 17%, 28%, 58%, and 59% less likely to die during the study, respectively. They were also 19%, 27%, 43%, and 44% less likely to need dialysis or a transplant.

The researchers found that the presence of other, or comorbid, conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes was similar between walking and non-walking patients.

"We have shown that CKD patients with comorbidities were able to walk if they wanted to, and that walking for exercise is associated with improved patient survival and a lower risk of dialysis," said Dr. Chou. "A minimal amount of walking -- just once a week for less than 30 minutes -- appears to be beneficial, but more frequent and longer walking may provide a more beneficial effect."


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. I.-R. Chen, S.-M. Wang, C.-C. Liang, H.-L. Kuo, C.-T. Chang, J.-H. Liu, H.-H. Lin, I.-K. Wang, Y.-F. Yang, C.-Y. Chou, C.-C. Huang. Association of Walking with Survival and RRT Among Patients with CKD Stages 3-5. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2014; DOI: 10.2215/CJN.09810913

Many smokers still surprised by facts about tobacco's dangers

 

May 15, 2014

Health Behavior News Service, part of the Center for Advancing Health

Between half and one-third of smokers presented with corrective statements about the dangers of smoking indicated that some of the information was new to them and motivated them to quit, finds a new study. "The tobacco industry systematically deceived the public for decades, denying that smoking was dangerous or addictive," explained one of the study's authors, adding that cigarette makers were actually designing their products to be more addictive to increase sales.


A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that many smokers still find accurate and detailed facts about the dangers of tobacco both new and motivating in terms of their desire to quit. This finding proved to be especially marked among members of groups that are most likely to be smokers today.

"The tobacco industry systematically deceived the public for decades, denying that smoking was dangerous or addictive," explained one of the study's authors James Thrasher, associate professor at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health.

Meanwhile cigarette makers were actually designing their products to be more addictive to increase sales. Because of their deceitfulness, a landmark court ruling in 2006 stated that the industry had to provide "corrective statements" about their past deceptions on five topics: health effects of smoking for smokers; health effects of secondhand smoke for nonsmokers; cigarette and nicotine addictiveness; industry design of cigarettes to increase addiction; and the lack of relative safety of low-tar and light cigarettes.

For nearly a decade, though, implementation of this ruling has been delayed while the industry has fought back in the courts. During this delay, tobacco marketing continues to make tobacco use seem like a "normal, important part of everyday behavior," the authors wrote.

"Our study found that many smokers are still unaware of tobacco industry lies," said Thrasher. He added that smokers indicate that receiving factual, corrective information about the dangers of smoking motivates them to quit; also that members of groups that are highly targeted by the tobacco industry were especially responsive to the corrective statements. These groups include women, African Americans, Latinos and lower-income people. "This study suggests that the longer we wait to give smokers this information about the tobacco industry's lies, the more smokers will continue to consume tobacco" noted Thrasher.

1,404 smokers ranging in age from18 to 64 years old and of diverse ethnic, gender and income groups were presented with the corrective statements. Between one half and one third of the study participants stated that some information in the corrective statements was novel to them. Those who experienced novelty were likelier to express anger at the industry, to find the message(s) relevant and to feel motivated to quit by the message(s). Novelty ratings ran consistently higher among African Americans and Latinos than among non-Hispanic whites.

Should corrective statements one day be "widely disseminated and highly visible, they will serve a key public education function," says Andrea Villanti, Ph.D., MPH, associate director for regulatory science and policy at the American Legacy Foundation. By correcting previous lies, she says, they "may have a role in preventing youth from initiating smoking and increasing cessation among adults."


Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Health Behavior News Service, part of the Center for Advancing Health. The original article was written by Milly Dawson. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Christy L. Kollath-Cattano, Erika N. Abad-Vivero, James F. Thrasher, Maansi Bansal-Travers, Richard J. O’Connor, Dean M. Krugman, Carla J. Berg, James W. Hardin. Adult Smokers’ Responses to “Corrective Statements” Regarding Tobacco Industry Deception. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.02.006