Weird stuff Cialis could hurt eyesight, study warns

Cialis could hurt eyesight, study warns

A widely prescribed erectile dysfunction drug could increase the risk of glaucoma and potentially threaten men’s eyesight, new research suggests.
Scientists found men taking tadalafil, best known by the brand name Cialis, were up to 33 per cent more likely to develop the most common form of glaucoma than those who did not take the drug.
Glaucoma affects around one million people in the UK and is responsible for about one in 10 cases of blindness. It is also the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness.
Researchers from Taiwan and the US analysed the health records of 73,854 men aged over 40, around half of whom had been prescribed tadalafil or another similar erectile dysfunction medication over a five-year period.
The results showed that men taking tadalafil were 22 per cent more likely to develop glaucoma overall and 33 per cent more likely to develop primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the disease.
They were also 32 per cent more likely to develop ocular hypertension, in which pressure inside the eye is raised and can increase the risk of glaucoma.
Experts believe tadalafil could temporarily raise pressure inside the eye over time, potentially damaging the optic nerve. They also suggested that reduced blood flow to the optic nerve could play a role, although neither theory has been proven.
The researchers stressed that the observational study does not prove tadalafil causes glaucoma, only that there is an association between the drug and the condition.
However, they concluded that the findings show the long-term effects of tadalafil on eye health warrant further investigation.
Tadalafil is prescribed to hundreds of thousands of men in the UK for erectile dysfunction, where it works by increasing blood flow to the penis. It is also used to treat an enlarged prostate by relaxing muscles in the bladder and prostate.
Known side effects include headaches, indigestion, muscle aches, a blocked nose and flushing. Headaches can also be an early warning sign of glaucoma.
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Childhood obesity could harm chances of becoming mothers
Girls who are overweight or obese from as young as six could face a significantly lower chance of becoming mothers later in life, new research suggests.
Scientists found women who followed the highest body mass index (BMI) trajectory throughout childhood were up to 42 per cent less likely to have children by their mid-30s than those who maintained a healthy weight.
Researchers say the findings suggest fertility may be influenced much earlier in life than previously believed and highlight the importance of tackling childhood obesity.
The Danish study analysed data from 60,864 women born in Copenhagen between 1950 and 1989, using yearly school health records to track their height and weight before linking them to birth records.
Overall, 78 per cent of the women went on to have children between the ages of 18 and 45, while 22 per cent remained childless (13,195).
After accounting for factors including relationship status, women who were obese from childhood were 22 per cent less likely to have a child between the ages of 25 and 29 than women with a healthy childhood BMI.
Between the ages of 30 and 34, their chances of giving birth were 42 per cent lower.
Girls who were overweight, rather than obese, also faced reduced fertility, with their odds of having a child falling by nine per cent between 25 and 29 and by 26 per cent between 30 and 34.
Lead author Dr Dorthe Pedersen, of Copenhagen University Hospital, said: “Our findings suggest that less favourable BMI patterns from as young as six years old may increase a woman’s risk of childlessness from their mid-20s onwards.
“By the time women reach their 30s, when many women start trying to conceive and fertility difficulties often become evident, the effects on reproductive capacity may already be established, underscoring the importance of preventive efforts focused on healthy growth and development in childhood.”

Weight-loss meds could help the heart

The blockbuster weight-loss jab Mounjaro could dramatically reduce the risk of potentially fatal heart attacks, according to a major new study.
Researchers found people taking the injection were a third less likely to suffer a heart attack than patients using another common Type 2 diabetes treatment.
The findings add to growing evidence that GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss may also protect the heart.
Scientists from Harvard University in Boston tracked almost 53,000 people with both Type 2 diabetes and heart disease who were prescribed either Mounjaro, which contains tirzepatide, or the diabetes drug sitagliptin.
The team monitored major adverse cardiovascular events, known as MACE, including heart attacks, strokes and deaths from any cause.
After one year, 2.9 per cent of patients taking Mounjaro had experienced a major cardiovascular event, compared with 4.4 per cent of those taking sitagliptin.
Researchers estimated that this equated to preventing one major cardiovascular event for every 70 patients treated.
The analysis also found that Mounjaro reduced the risk of heart attacks by 33 per cent, although there was no significant difference in stroke rates between the two groups.
Patients taking the jab were also less likely to be admitted to hospital with infections, with one admission prevented for every 48 people treated.
In addition, the researchers estimated that one death from any cause was prevented for every 122 patients taking Mounjaro.
Writing in The BMJ, the researchers said: “This study shows how trial-anchored evidence from clinical practice can estimate the expected cardiovascular benefit of initiating tirzepatide beyond standard background treatment and inform shared decision making.”