Monday, December 3, 2012

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 'delighted' as they announce they are expecting their first baby


The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are having a baby, it was announced today.
Catherine, 30, was this afternoon taken to King Edward VII Hospital in central London with acute morning sickness and is expected to be kept in for several days.
In a statement on their website, the couple said they are 'delighted with the news'.
Scroll down for video
Pregnant: The Duchess of Cambridge visited her 'adored' prep school St Andrews last week and even played hockey in high heels despite being pregnant
Pregnant: The Duchess of Cambridge visited her 'adored' prep school St Andrews last week and even played hockey in high heels despite being pregnant
The baby will be born third in line to the throne. The Queen, Prince Philip and other members of the royal family are also ‘delighted’.
Prime Minister David Cameron said on Twitter: 'I'm delighted by the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby. They will make wonderful parents.’


In a statement on the couple's website, they said: 'Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby.
'The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news.'
Good sport: In this photo from last Friday the Duchess of Cambridge, plays hockey during her visit to St. Andrew's School, where she attended school from 1986 till 1995, in Pangbourne
Good sport: In this photo from last Friday the Duchess of Cambridge, plays hockey during her visit to St. Andrew's School, where she attended school from 1986 till 1995, in Pangbourne
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attends the official opening of The Natural History Museums's Treasures Gallery at Natural History Museum on November 27, 2012 in London, EnglandLONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 28: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives to Kings Cross train station on November 28, 2012 in London, England
The Duchess of Cambridge attends the official opening of The Natural History Museum's Treasures Gallery in London last week (left), and she was also photographed on an official tour of Cambridge (right) 
However there are some concerns for the Duchess's health as acute morning sickness is a serious condition that affects one in 50 pregnant women.
It is not yet known when the Duchess is due to give birth, but she is believed to be less than 12 weeks pregnant.
The statement continued: 'The Duchess was admitted this afternoon to King Edward VII Hospital in Central London with Hyperemesis Gravidarum.
'As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter.'
Despite her delicate condition, Catherine showed she was a good sport by taking to the hockey field last Friday at her former school, St. Andrew's in Pangbourne.
On Wednesday last week, the couple sparked rumours when Prince William accepted a baby romper suit emblazoned with a picture of a helicopter and the words ‘Daddy’s little co-pilot’. 
Smiling, the Prince took the suit and said: ‘I’ll keep that.’
Rumours: Prince William sparked speculation last week after accepting a babygro from a well-wisher in Cambridge
The royal couple had been visiting the city of Cambridge for the first time when mew mother Samantha Hill, 27, from Sudbury, Suffolk, handed over the gift. 
She said: 'I made it for when his little one comes along, he's a helicopter pilot so his baby will think his daddy is cool. When I gave it to him he said "I'll keep that" and handed it to his aide.'
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a rare condition believed to affect up to one in 50 women in pregnancy and is a severe form of morning sickness.
It tends to be more common in young mothers, women who are in their first pregnancy, and those with multiple pregnancies.
Women with hyperemesis gravidarum often lose weight - usually over 10 per cent of their body weight - and feel tired and dizzy.
However, leading doctors say that along with more ordinary morning sickness, it is a sign the pregnancy is progressing.

Delighted: Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted his congratulations

Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeted to wish William and Katherine all the best
Enlarge In a statement on their website, the couple said they are 'delighted with the news'
In a statement on their website, the couple said they are 'delighted with the news'
Dr Peter Bowen-Simpkins, consultant obstetrician and medical director of the London Women’s Clinic, says: ‘It is almost always a positive sign that the pregnancy is progressing well.'
They may also find they are passing water less often than usual, and the main risk is dehydration which can lead to headache, palpitations and confusion.

ACUTE MORNING SICKNESS AFFECTS 1 IN 50 PREGNANT WOMEN

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a rare condition believed to affect up to one in 50 women in pregnancy and is a severe form of morning sickness.
It tends to be more common in young mothers, women who are in their first pregnancy, and those with multiple pregnancies.
Women with hyperemesis gravidarum often lose weight (usually over 10% of their body weight) and feel tired and dizzy. 
They may also find they are passing water less often than usual, and the main risk is dehydration which can lead to headache, palpitations and confusion. 
There is also a risk of nutritional deficiencies.
When symptoms are severe, admission to hospital may be needed for observation and to treat dehydration with intravenous fluids. 
This usually only means a few days in hospital.
Unlike most morning sickness, hyperemesis gravidarum usually persists past the first trimester of pregnancy, and typically subsides by week 21 of pregnancy – although it can last much longer.
However, leading doctors say that along with more ordinary morning sickness, it is a sign the pregnancy is progressing.
Dr Peter Bowen-Simpkins, consultant obstetrician and medical director of the London Women’s Clinic, says: ‘It is almost always a positive sign that the pregnancy is progressing well.
‘The sickness is thought to be due to a rise in hormone levels. It normally occurs during weeks six and eight of pregnancy, when the placenta takes over production of hormones from the ovaries.
‘It generally continues until around 12 or 14 weeks, but if it stops before, it can — although not always — be a sign that all is not well.’
Mark Prigg
Speculation became rife that the Duchess might have been expecting in September when the royal couple visited Singapore as part of an official tour and chinked glasses of iced water at a gala reception in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. 
Earlier that same day, William had revealed the couple's plans to start a family - by saying he wanted two children - after being quizzed by a plucky youngster on a walkabout.
Interviewed as they announced their engagement in November 2010, Catherine said: ‘I hope we will be able to have a happy family ourselves.’
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby will be born third in line to the throne and a great grandchild to the Queen.
The last time a still-serving monarch got to meet a great grandchild born in direct succession to the crown was nearly 120 years ago.
Queen Victoria, who reigned until 1901, was still sovereign when her great grandchild Edward VIII, who later abdicated, was born third in line in 1894.
His brother George VI was also born in Queen Victoria's lifetime, arriving fourth in line in 1895.
The last great granddaughter of a still-serving sovereign born in direct succession on the male line was their sister Princess Mary in 1897.
William and Kate's baby - a future King or Queen - will be the great great great great great grandchild of Queen Victoria.
When the newest addition to the Royal Family arrives, Prince Harry, the baby's uncle, will be bumped down the line of succession to fourth place.
The Queen has already welcomed her first great grandchild, Savannah Phillips - the daughter of Peter and Autumn Phillips - but Miss Phillips is only 12th in line, being born down the female line as a granddaughter to the Princess Royal. 
Her second great grandchild - Savannah's sister - Isla was born in March 2012, 13th in line to the throne.
Royal births are usually celebrated with a Royal Salute of 41 guns.
They are registered in the normal way, although the Home Secretary is required to notify certain officials including the Lord Mayor of London, while the Queen's Private Secretary Sir Christopher Geidt informs Governor Generals overseas.
There is also the age old custom of attaching Notice of Royal births and deaths to the railings at Buckingham Palace for members of the public to read.
But as well as keeping to this tradition, the arrival of royal birth will no doubt also be officially declared via the monarchy's websites, on Facebook and via Twitter.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2242350/Kate-Middleton-pregnant-Duke-Duchess-Cambridge-having-baby.html#ixzz2E0gyeyvJ 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Low Testosterone and Sex Drive

Testosterone isn't the only fuel for a man's sex drive and performance. But low testosterone can reduce your ability to have satisfying sex. Lack of sex drive and erectile dysfunction are sexual problems that can result from low testosterone. If low testosterone is the cause, treating it can help.

Testosterone and the Causes of Low Libido

Is My Testosterone Too Low?

Your mojo's missing, you're moody as a teen, your biceps have lost bulk. It could be low testosterone, or low T. While so-called male menopause (in which the male hormone takes a nosedive) affects a small percentage of men, virtually all males experience low T with age. Other causes range from illness and injury to stress and drinking. Learn how low testosterone affects health and how you can deal with it.
Get the lowdown on low T

Researchers haven't unraveled the mystery of just how testosterone increases libido. It's normal for a man's sex drive to slowly decline from its peak in his teens and 20s, but libido varies widely between men. What one man might consider a low sex drive, another might not. Also, sex drive changes within each man over time and is affected by stress, sleep, and opportunities for sex. For these reasons, defining what's a "normal" sex drive is next to impossible. Usually, the man himself identifies a lack of sex drive as a problem. Other times, his partner may consider it to be an issue.  
Low testosterone symptoms don't always include feeling like you have no sex drive. Some men maintain sexual desire at relatively low testosterone levels. For other men, libido may lag even with normal testosterone levels. Low testosterone is one of the possible causes of low libido, however. If testosterone is lowered far enough, virtually all men will experience some decline in sex drive.
In a large study of men in Massachusetts, about 11% overall said they had a lack of sex drive. The researchers then tested all the men's testosterone levels. About 28% of men with low testosterone had low libido. These men were relatively young, with an average age of 47; older men might have worse sexual symptoms.
Low testosterone is only one of the causes of low libido. Stress, sleep deprivation, depression, and chronic medical illnesses can also sap a man's sex drive.

Low Testosterone and Erectile Dysfunction

Surprisingly, low testosterone by itself rarely causes erectile dysfunction, or ED. Low testosterone alone -- with no other health problems -- accounts for a small minority of men with erectile dysfunction. 
Erection problems are usually caused by atherosclerosis -- hardening of the arteries. If damaged, the tiny blood vessels supplying the penis can no longer dilate to bring in the strong flow needed for a firm erection. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are the three main causes of atherosclerosis and erectile dysfunction.
At the same time, low testosterone is a frequent accomplice to atherosclerosis in creating erectile dysfunction. In studies, as many as one in three men mentioning ED to their doctor have low testosterone. Experts believe that in men with other factors causing erectile dysfunction, low testosterone can strongly contribute, making a difficult situation even worse.
Strengthening the connection, low testosterone is linked in some way with many of the conditions that lead to erectile dysfunction:
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Obesity
  • Endothelial dysfunction
  • Diabetes
Although low testosterone isn't known to cause them, the associations between other medical conditions and low testosterone can be significant.
Testosterone therapy improves sex drive and satisfaction with sex in many men. However, the long-term risks and benefits of testosterone replacement are unknown. Research trials on testosterone replacement in men are ongoing, although results are years away.

Health officials: Athens has spiraling HIV crisis

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Athens is seeing an alarming increase in new HIV infections, particularly among intravenous drug users, health officials warned Friday, as Greece struggles through a protracted financial crisis in which funding for health care and drug treatment programs has been slashed.
While there were about 10-14 new HIV infections per year among Athens drug users from 2008 to 2010, that number shot up to 206 new cases last year and 487 new cases by October this year — a 15-fold and 35-fold increase respectively, officials said.
“There is no doubt we have a big and rapidly developing epidemic in Athens,” said Angelos Hatzakis, an epidemiology and preventive medicine professor at Athens University.
A total of 1,049 new cases of HIV infection were recorded in Greece in the first 10 months of this year, including the 487 drug users. Of the others, 256 were homosexual men, while 108 caught the virus through heterosexual intercourse, the figures showed.
“One of the reasons is the financial crisis,” said Marc Sprenger, director of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. “There are more people who are vulnerable, marginalized” and who use drugs.
They turn to cheaper drugs and turn to injecting instead of smoking in order to get the same high from a smaller quantity, officials said.
“We are very concerned,” Sprenger said. “What we see now is this increase, and if you don’t really pay attention to this, it will become in the future a really huge burden.”
Greece has been hammered by a financial crisis since late 2009 that has left the country facing a sixth year of a deep recession and with a quarter of the workforce unemployed. The country relies on international rescue loans from other European countries that also use the euro and the International Monetary Fund to stay solvent.
But in return, the Greek government has imposed several rounds of spending cuts and tax hikes. Charities dealing with drug users and HIV sufferers have also struggled to find funds during the crisis.

HPV tied to throat cancers: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A sexually transmitted infection usually thought of in connection tocervical cancer is also tied to a five times greater risk of cancer of the vocal chords or voice box, a new report suggests.
Combining the results of 55 studies from the past two decades, Chinese researchers found 28 percent of people with laryngeal cancers had cancerous tissue that tested positive for human papillomavirus (HPV).
But that rate varied widely by study, from no throat cancer patients with HPV to 79 percent with the infection.
"We're finding that HPV appears to be linked to a number of squalors cell carcinomas of the head, neck and throat," said Dr. William Mendenhall, a radiation oncologist from the University of Florida in Gainesville who didn't participate in the analysis.
However, he told Reuters Health, "I think the risk of HPV on laryngeal cancer is probably relatively low. Most of the patients we see currently that come in with laryngeal cancer have a strong history of cigarette smoking, also heavy drinking."
Along with tobacco and alcohol, having a poor diet and exposure to certain chemicals can increase a person's risk of laryngeal and other head and neck cancers.
The American Cancer Society estimates 12,360 people will be diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in the United States in 2012 and that there will be 3,650 deaths from the disease.
Along with their larger review, researchers led by Dr. Xiangwei Li, from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking University Medical College in Beijing, analyzed 12 studies that compared cancerous and non-cancerous tissues from a total of 638 patients. They found the cancerous throat tissue had 5.4 times the odds of testing positive for HPV infection, compared to non-cancerous tissue.
The analysis was published last week in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Mendenhall said that of all head and neck cancers, HPV seems to play the biggest role not in laryngeal cancer, but in cancer of the tonsils and back of the tongue.
Genital warts are growths or bumps that appear:
  • On the vulva
  • In or around the vagina or anus
  • On the cervix
  • On the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh
  • In the mouth or throat (rare)

The warts may be raised or flat, single or multiple, small or large. Some may 
cluster to form a cauliflower-like shape. This condition is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Most people will be exposed to a form of HPV at some point in their lives. Not everyone will become infected or develop symptoms.

Genital Warts
Nucleus factsheet image
© 2009 Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

Causes

Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a family of more than 80 common viruses. Many types of HPV cause harmlessskin warts . These warts are often found on the fingers or feet. Only a few types are thought to cause genital warts.
HPV is easily spread during oral, genital, or anal sex with an infected partner. About two-thirds of people who have sex with a partner who has genital warts will also develop them. Warts can take several weeks or months to appear.
However, he added, "the exposure is probably decades earlier. Someone who develops a base oftongue cancer when they're 50, they probably were exposed to the virus years before, in their teens or 20s."
At least half of sexually-active people get HPV at some point in their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but the virus is usually cleared by the immune system. Only some of the 40-plus HPV strains have been tied to cancer.
Based on the current findings, it's difficult to know how many of the laryngeal cancers in the original studies were actually caused by the virus, researchers said.
But Mendenhall said extending HPV vaccination to boys and young men, as the CDC has recommended, "will hopefully reduce at least some of these HPV-related cancers.

Woman, 22, who underwent world's first successful womb transplant to have IVF baby


Responding well: Derya Sert had her womb transplant in August last year
Responding well: Derya Sert had her womb transplant in August last year
A woman who had the world’s first successful womb transplant is set to undergo IVF in a bid to fulfil her dream of motherhood.
Thousands of British women born without a womb will be given hope if the breakthrough treatment succeeds. Speaking in London last week, her surgeon Professor Omer Ozkan revealed that the married housewife has responded so well to treatment that his medical team is confident the first ‘donor womb’ pregnancy is now possible.
But some British experts, including Lord Winston, claim that a pregnancy could cause potentially fatal complications. And the baby would have to be born by caesarean, which carries the risks of surgery.
Prof Ozkan, who performed the pioneering transplant on 22-year-old Derya Sert in August last year, announced her IVF treatment at a conference attended by the world’s top transplant specialists. The event was organised by Richard Smith, a consultant at Imperial College London who could be ready to perform similar operations on British women in just two years.
Prof Ozkan, from Akdeniz University in Antalya, Turkey, also revealed three more women are to undergo transplants at his clinic, providing Mrs Sert has a healthy baby.
Prof Ozkan said: ‘This is the longest time any woman has gone without rejecting an implanted womb and we wanted to reach the year-and-a-half mark before going ahead. That will hopefully happen in three months’ time as things are looking good so far.’
He described Mrs Sert’s health as ‘absolutely normal’, adding: ‘It’s not only important for us to have this contact for the patient, it’s also important for future cases.’
Mrs Sert, who is married to 35-year-old Mustafa, has said: ‘If I had  a magic wand, I would want to be pregnant now. I just want to hold my baby in my arms, to be a mother.’
Prof Ozkan and his team will take two out of eight embryos frozen before Mrs Sert’s treatment, thaw them and transfer them into her uterus. The hope is this will lead to at least one baby – or even twins. 
There are at least 15,000 women in Britain alone who were born without a womb or who have had theirs removed as a result of cancer or other medical issues.
TV presenter Yvette Fielding revealed in 2009 that she had undergone a hysterectomy to stop her agonising periods. 

 

Fielding already has two children. However, many women are childless when they have the drastic surgery. Those in favour of womb transplants argue it is the only way to meet the desperate desire of many of these women to ‘carry’ their own baby.
This need cannot be met if they use another woman as a surrogate, a controversial process that is strictly regulated in the UK and illegal in some countries, including France and Germany.
Many British couples end up  travelling to India, where clinics hire out women as surrogates. However, this is fraught with legal issues. For example, couples whose surrogate children are born abroad have to go to court in the UK to ‘prove’ they are the legal parents.
Adoption does not give a woman the chance to have a child who is genetically her own and, again, there is a strict vetting procedure.
Artificial selection: Mrs Sert had eight embryos frozen before her treatment. Doctors will will thaw them and transfer them into her uterus
Danger: Fertility expert Lord Winston says the risks are not worth taking. Surrogacy is an alternative option
Danger: Fertility expert Lord Winston says the risks are not worth taking. Surrogacy is an alternative option
Surgeon Mr Smith has spent more than 15 years researching the possibility of pregnancy among women who have had womb transplants. In July, he revealed his team had achieved the first successful pregnancy in a rabbit with a transplanted uterus, although the animal went  on to miscarry. He now plans to carry out the procedure on five more rabbits before it is trialled in sheep. Only then will Mr Smith approach UK ethics committees for approval to try it on humans.
Women who have lost their wombs to cancer need to have been free of the disease for at least five years before they can be considered for  a transplant.
But womb transplants have been criticised by experts because they are not carried out to ‘save a life’.
Risks include rejection of the new womb and potential side effects  during pregnancy from the powerful anti-rejection drugs.
After the first womb transplant, carried out in Saudi Arabia in 2000, the donated organ ‘failed’ after three months because the blood vessels used to connect it were too narrow and became blocked by clots.
However, Prof Ozkan does not doubt womb transplants are worth the risks for thousands of women otherwise unable to have a ‘normal’ pregnancy.
Trials: British surgeon Richard Smith could be ready to perform similar operations on British women in two years
Trials: British surgeon Richard Smith could be ready to perform similar operations on British women in two years
He said: ‘Many people think that womb transplants aren’t necessary because they’re not lifesaving operations and that women have the option of adoption or surrogacy.
‘But we’ve had applications from women all over the world wanting womb transplants. This is absolutely necessary for these women: you just have to ask them to realise this.’
A total of 100 women have now been screened by Prof Ozkan in addition to Mrs Sert, who received her healthy organ from a car-crash victim. Ten of these have been selected as possible recipients. Of these, three have been approved for a transplant and have undergone fertility treatment. This has resulted in viable embryos, which have been put on ice.
Prof Ozkan could now have a race on his hands to become the first  doctor to achieve a successful pregnancy from a womb transplant.
Swedish experts carried out two procedures in September, both involving the world’s first mother-to-daughter uterus transplants.
This week, they announced another two operations – a mother-to-daughter and an aunt-to-niece – with more transplants scheduled for early 2013. All involve live transplants, whereas Prof Ozkan’s Turkish team used wombs from dead donors.
The scientists and doctors at the University of Gothenburg have received approval to complete ten procedures in total. The remaining six procedures, scheduled for next year, include a woman donating to her son’s wife and another giving her womb to her younger sister.
The next step is to begin embryo implantation at the end of 2013.
Professor Mats Brannstrom, who is leading the research team, told The Mail on Sunday that some of his patients have bonded over their shared dream of becoming mothers: ‘The first couples had wanted to meet so three are now really good friends. When the first one had the transplant, she was straight on to the internet telling the others.’
All his patients are Swedish, although at least one British woman has been assessed for treatment.
Eva Ottoson, who lives in Nottingham, had hoped to have her womb transplanted into her daughter Sara, 26, who lives in Sweden. But she has been rejected on medical grounds.
Doctors are divided over whether to use living or dead donors. Some experts are uncomfortable with  taking the womb from a living woman when it is not for life-saving reasons. With live transplants, there are risks to two living patients. However, an organ from a living donor can be a better match.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2241549/Woman-22-underwent-worlds-successful-womb-transplant-IVF-baby.html#ixzz2DvvS1qbt 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Teens blast proposal to enact minimum drinking age for energy drinks


Officials in Long Island are considering whether to enact a drinking age of 19 for energy drinks, as the Food and Drug Administration investigates claims over deaths allegedly caused by the sugary, caffeinated beverages. 
A spokesman for American Beverage Association insists the drinks are safe and says they contain the same amount of caffeine of a regular cup of coffee but the New York district is concerned over their popularity among teenagers.
But teens in Suffolk County, New York have blasted the proposal saying that teens needs the caffeine to keep up their active lifestyles. 
Danger
Danger: Long Island health officials fear easy access to energy drinks could be unsafe for young consumers
Suffolk County, where officials would like the drinks to only be sold to customers 19 years and up, would be the first area in the U.S. to institute a minimum age for the drinks. 
Health officials and policy makers have increasingly grown concerned over the impact of the drinks - full of sugar and stimulants that can quickly get a person's heart racing once ingested.
 

The Suffolk Board of Health has voted to encourage county and federal lawmakers to prohibit the sale of the energy beverages to anyone under 19. 
'It has a bad nutritional message. It has risks for children. It has no therapeutic value,' Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr James Tomarken told WCBS-TV.
Drinking age:
Drinking age: The Suffolk County Department of Health has voted to encourage local officials to require a minimum age of 19 to purchase energy drinks
William Spender, a Suffolk County legislator who also is a doctor by trade, is supportive of the measure given the concentrated amount of caffeine in the drinks. 
'If a young person is in a strenuous activity, caffeine intoxication can lead to cardiac arrhythmia,' he  said.
But young people from Long Island have spoken out saying the government is overacting. 
'When they're having sleep-overs they just want to stay up all night,' Islip High School senior Courtney Perera told WCBS-TV.
'It's not like we are going to OD on an energy drink,' another high school senior Erin Cohen said.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2241348/Teens-blast-proposal-enact-minimum-drinking-age-energy-drinks.html#ixzz2Drav11wm 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Doctors offer hope for PTSD patients - by treating them with ECSTASY

A new report shows that MDMA, the pure form of the party drug ecstasy, can help effectively treat post-traumatic stress disorder if coupled with psychotherapy.
The study by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, published recently in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, showed that 83 per cent of participants receiving MDMA-assisted psychotherapy no longer qualified for a PTSD diagnosis two months after treatment.
Now, the group is now using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on 24 first-responders and military veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD.
Scroll down for video
m
Ecstasy: A new report shows that MDMA, the pure form of the party drug ecstasy, can help effectively treat post-traumatic stress disorder if coupled with psychotherapy
'With such encouraging data, including evidence of long-term effectiveness after only two or three MDMA-assisted psychotherapy sessions, there is now no doubt that this research should be expanded to larger clinical trials,' the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Michael Mithoefer, said in a statement.
 

The 24 police officers, firefighters and military veterans participating in the newest study will be treated by the middle of 2013, MAPS spokesman Brad Burge to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
Eleven have already received the treatment; results have been promising so far.
t
Treatment: Now, a group is using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on 24 first-responders and military veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD
Since the research helped with the progress of some of the most treatment-resistant cases of PTSD, researchers believe the treatment will be especially helpful for service members, who are typically the toughest cases due to their warrior ethos and the stigma associated with seeking treatment, Burge said.
Almost one in seven service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from PTSD, according to the association’s website. 
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs spent about $5.5 billion on PTSD disability payments to some 275,000 veterans in 2011. The cost and number of veterans suffering from PTSD is expected to rise.
MAPS is currently working on a 10 year, $15 million plan to make MDMA into an FDA-approved prescription medicine.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2241551/Doctors-offer-hope-PTSD-patients--treating-ECSTASY.html#ixzz2DrXWiQmC 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook