The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved vilazodone tablets (Viibryd, Clinical Data, Inc) for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults.
For the 18 million Americans dealing with daily depression, this is great news!
Vilazodone is the first approved drug that is both a combination selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and a partial agonist of serotonergic (5HT1A) receptors.
In 2 randomized, double-blind trials in adults with MDD, vilazodone 40 mg once daily was shown to be significantly superior to placebo at improving depressive symptoms, as measured by a mean change in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale total score from baseline to week 8. Patients in the study were titrated up to the 40-mg dose during the course of 2 weeks.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
VITAMIN D MAY INCREASE TESTOSTERONE LEVELS IN MEN
A study was conducted to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation influences testosterone levels in men.
The reproductive tract in men has been identified as a target tissue for vitamin D. Recent data suggests that there is an association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and testosterone levels in men.
A randomized controlled trial of healthy overweight men undergoing a weight reduction program were analyzed for testosterone levels. This study included 200 non-diabetic subjects, of whom 165 participants (54 men) completed the trial. Participants were given either 3332 IU of vitamin D daily for 1 year (n=31) or placebo (n=23).
At the start of the trial, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were in the deficiency range (<50nmol/l) and testosterone values were at the lower end of the reference range (9.09-55.28nmol/l for males aged 20-49 years) in both groups. Mean circulating 25(OH)D concentrations increased significantly by 53.5nmol/l in the vitamin D group, but remained almost constant in the placebo group. Compared to baseline values, a significant increase in total testosterone levels (from 10.7±3.9nmol/l to 13.4±4.7nmol/l; p<0.001), bioactive testosterone (from 5.21±1.87nmol/l to 6.25±2.01nmol/l; p=0.001), and free testosterone levels (from 0.222±0.080nmol/l to 0.267±0.087nmol/l; p=0.001) were observed in the vitamin D supplemented group. By contrast, there was no significant change in any testosterone measure in the placebo group.
This study was conducted by Pilz S, Frisch S, Koertke H, Kuhn J, Dreier J, Obermayer-Pietsch B, Wehr E, Zittermann A. at the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
Their conclusion: suggests that vitamin D supplementation might increase testosterone levels.
For more information see our Vitamin D product.
The reproductive tract in men has been identified as a target tissue for vitamin D. Recent data suggests that there is an association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and testosterone levels in men.
A randomized controlled trial of healthy overweight men undergoing a weight reduction program were analyzed for testosterone levels. This study included 200 non-diabetic subjects, of whom 165 participants (54 men) completed the trial. Participants were given either 3332 IU of vitamin D daily for 1 year (n=31) or placebo (n=23).
At the start of the trial, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were in the deficiency range (<50nmol/l) and testosterone values were at the lower end of the reference range (9.09-55.28nmol/l for males aged 20-49 years) in both groups. Mean circulating 25(OH)D concentrations increased significantly by 53.5nmol/l in the vitamin D group, but remained almost constant in the placebo group. Compared to baseline values, a significant increase in total testosterone levels (from 10.7±3.9nmol/l to 13.4±4.7nmol/l; p<0.001), bioactive testosterone (from 5.21±1.87nmol/l to 6.25±2.01nmol/l; p=0.001), and free testosterone levels (from 0.222±0.080nmol/l to 0.267±0.087nmol/l; p=0.001) were observed in the vitamin D supplemented group. By contrast, there was no significant change in any testosterone measure in the placebo group.
This study was conducted by Pilz S, Frisch S, Koertke H, Kuhn J, Dreier J, Obermayer-Pietsch B, Wehr E, Zittermann A. at the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
Their conclusion: suggests that vitamin D supplementation might increase testosterone levels.
For more information see our Vitamin D product.
Diets High in Trans Fats Can Increase the Risk of Depression, While Diets Rich in Olive Oil Can Decrease the Risk
We have known for years that diets high in trans-fats can increase the risk of heart disease, but a new study shows that trans fat rich diets can also boost the risk of depression.
This study involved 12,000 people and showed that participants with elevated levels of trans-fats had a 48% increased risk for depression than their counterparts who consumed diets low in trans fats.
However this study showed that diets rich in olive oil, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) appear to have a protective effect and lower depression risk.
In fact, participants with an olive oil consumption higher than 20 grams a day (about 0.7 ounces) had a 30% lower risk of depression than those without consumption or with a very low consumption of olive oil,
Study conducted by researcher Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, PhD, associate professor of preventive medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Las Palmas, Spain.
This study involved 12,000 people and showed that participants with elevated levels of trans-fats had a 48% increased risk for depression than their counterparts who consumed diets low in trans fats.
However this study showed that diets rich in olive oil, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) appear to have a protective effect and lower depression risk.
In fact, participants with an olive oil consumption higher than 20 grams a day (about 0.7 ounces) had a 30% lower risk of depression than those without consumption or with a very low consumption of olive oil,
Study conducted by researcher Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, PhD, associate professor of preventive medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Las Palmas, Spain.
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