Summary
After an apparent success in one patient, a Detroit hospital has begun an experiment to see if Viagra can be a good treatment for stroke victims. One woman who tried the drug in 2003 made an astonishing recovery from her stroke, and now hospital officials have won approval from regulators to test it on 84 more patients over the next three months. Doctors are not yet sure why -- or even whether -- the male sexual performance pill was helpful to the first patient.
Original source:
http://www.freep.com/news/health/viagra17e_20050217.htm
Details
Viagra, the top-selling drug that has helped millions of men renew their sex lives, may find new use as a stroke treatment.
Locked-in syndrome is a rare complication of stroke and brain injury that puzzles doctors.
Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit began a study this week using Viagra in the first three days after an ischemic stroke.
The study follows more than a decade of laboratory research at Ford using Pfizer Inc.'s Viagra.
Ford doctors also used Viagra successfully in a Michigan woman who developed severe complications from a stroke.
Rene Jarinski, 43, of Owosso was paralyzed with locked-in syndrome, a rare stroke complication, which developed after she gave herself an injection of migraine medicine on July 28, 2003.
After getting federal approval to use Viagra for a stroke -- through a program that allows nonstandard uses of a drug for compassionate purposes -- Ford doctors gave Jarinski gradual doses of the drug for several months.
Combined with gains from physical therapy, Jarinski has made a recovery that astonishes her doctor.
The Ford study is a so-called phase one study, the earliest stage of research, to determine whether the drug is safe.
In the next three months, 84 patients ages 18 to 80 with mild-to-moderate complications in the first three days of a stroke will be enrolled in the study.
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams launched TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He's also the founder and CEO of a well known email mail merge software developer whose software, 'Email Marketing Director,' currently runs the NaturalNews email subscriptions. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Wednesday, March 02, 2005
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