Longer sleep hours suppresses genetic factors that lead to weight gain.

The study looked at 1,088 pairs of twins and found that sleeping less than seven hours a night was associated with both increased BMI and greater genetic influences on BMI. Previous research has shown that genetic influences include things like glucose metabolism, energy use, fatty acid storage and satiety. In this study, the heritability of BMI was twice as high for the short sleepers than for twins who slept longer than nine hours a night.

"The results suggest that shorter sleep provides a more permissive environment for the expression of obesity related genes," said principal investigator Nathaniel Watson, MD, MSc, of the University of Washington. "Or it may be that extended sleep is protective by suppressing expression of obesity genes."

Watson and colleagues determined that for twins sleeping less than seven hours, genetic influences accounted for 70 percent of the differences in BMI, with common environment accounting for just 4 percent and unique environment 26 percent. For twins averaging more than nine hours of sleep, genetic factors were attributed to 32 percent of weight variations, with common environment accounting for 51 percent and unique environment 17 percent.

More research is needed, Watson said, but these preliminary results may suggest that behavioral weight loss measures would be most effective when genetic drivers of body weight are mitigated through sleep extension.

A new analysis suggests that antioxidants could play a significant role in addressing infertility issues in both women and men, including erectile dysfunction.

Tory Hagen, in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, and Francesco Visioli, lead author of the study at the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Spain, also observed that infertility problems are often an early indicator of other degenerative disease issues such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. The same approaches that may help treat infertility could also be of value to head off those problems, they said.

"If oxidative stress is an underlying factor causing infertility, which we think the evidence points to, we should be able to do something about it," said Hagen, the Jamieson Chair of Healthspan Research in the Linus Pauling Institute.

"This might help prevent other critical health problems as well, at an early stage when nutritional therapies often work best," he added.

The results from early research have been equivocal, Hagen said, but that may be because they were too small or did not focus on antioxidants. Laboratory and in-vitro studies have been very promising, especially with some newer antioxidants such as lipoic acid that have received much less attention.

"The jury is still out on this," Hagen said.

"But the problem is huge, and the data from laboratory studies is very robust, it all fits. There is evidence this might work, and the potential benefits could be enormous," added Hagen.

A new study on the effects of marijuana on sexual health has suggested that men could be courting sexual dysfunction from smoking it.

Study researcher Rany Shamloul, a physician with appointments at the University of Ottawa and Queen's University in Canada as well as the University of Cairo, conducted the study.

According to LiveScience, Shamloul said that even though research on the topic is contradictory, a recent study, including the finding that the penis contains receptors for marijuana's active ingredient, should make young men think of the long-term effects before rolling a joint.

"It's a strong message to our younger generations and younger men," Fox News quoted Shamloul as saying.

Scientists first began to study marijuana and sex in the 1970s, and some researchers found that cannabis seemed to have the effect of a love drug.

In one 1982 study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 75 percent of male pot smokers said the drug enhanced their sex lives.

Meanwhile, another study published in the same journal the same year found that erectile dysfunction was twice as common in marijuana.

Other research suggests a dose effect, in which small amounts of marijuana have little impact on sexual dysfunction, but more marijuana makes for fewer erections.

Australian troops are being warned about the dangers of erectile dysfunction drugs and told they can have just four taxpayer-funded tablets of Viagra or Cialis pills a month. These soldiers including those in places such as Afghanistan, have to be medically assessed as suffering from sexual performance problems before the pills will be prescribed to them.

These warnings come in a health bulletin from the Defence Surgeon-General in response to concerns about the possible over-use and over-prescribing of the drugs by military personnel. It applies to Viagra and Cialis medication and states that a proper diagnosis of erectile dysfunction must be made before troops can be prescribed these drugs.

The Defence Department said higher doses were available if prescribed by a medical officer. The bulletin reads, “They are not to be prescribed for women” but can be prescribed only for “clinical erectile dysfunction” or for short-term treatment following surgery. “The drug is to be accompanied by a medical review and treatment of underlying conditions…Diagnosis must be supported by clinical or sexual history…And it must be supported by an examination and investigation,” the bulletin reads. Four brand name 50mg Viagra tablets sell for $115.95 on the internet and four 10mg Cialis tablets cost the same.

Supposedly "herbal and all natural" sexual enhancement tablets "Man Up Now" were found to contain sulfoaildenafil, a chemical similar to sildenafil (found in Viagra) and can bring blood pressure down in a dangerous way, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) announced. The FDA is telling people to avoid Man Up Now capsules - if you have any, you should stop using them immediately.

The sulfoaildenafil found in the capsules can interfere with how some prescription drugs work, such as nitrates, resulting in dangerously low blood pressure, depriving the brain of vital blood and oxygen.

The capsules are sold by Synergy Distribution LLC through the internet and possibly some shops. Man UP Now comes in single, double and triple blister packs, as well as bottles containing 6, 12 or 30 capsules.

So far, no reports have come in of any undesirable side effects related to this product, the FDA wrote in a communiqué today. However, the Agency warns that companies that make claims that their sexual enhancement products are as good as prescription ones and contain prescription strength active ingredients can expose users to unpredictable risks, including injury or death.

A growing number of products sold as dietary supplements claiming to enhance sexual prowess have been detected by the FDA over the last few years. Many contain active ingredients found in FDA-approved medications, or variations of these ingredients, and can be harmful. They should not be OTC (over-the-counter) medications.

Any sexual enhancement product which is alleged to work rapidly, last several hours or days probably has FDA-approved active ingredients found in prescription drugs, or variations of them.

If you have experienced any undesirable side effect from this product you should see a doctor immediately and get rid of it, the FDA says.

Patients and doctors should report any undesirable side effects to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.

An increasing number of men in Germany are seeking impotence treatment, research from a major health insurer has suggested.

KKA-Allianz recorded a 13% rise in the number of men seeking erectile dysfunction treatment between 2006 and 2009. In the past year the company says that nearly 19,000 of its male members sought impotence treatment.

Interestingly, the insurer says that nine out of ten of these cases were caused by psychological factors. Typically psychological problems cause impotence among younger men, while older men experience the condition because of physical problems; however, causes vary and it is not easy to generalise. KKA-Allianz’s research found that smoking and excessive alcohol consumption were also causes of some impotence cases.

KKA-Allianz also noted that while impotence seemed to be on the increase, cases of female sexual dysfunction have declined. Cases fell by 15% between 2006 and 2009.

In total KKA-Allianz’s records show that 29,000 men and women insured by the firm were treated for erectile dysfunction in the past year. One in four of these people were women.

Embarrassment

The actual number of impotent men insured by the firm could be even greater than their records show. This is because many impotent men are embarrassed to seek help from their doctor, or even talk about the issue with their partner. Such shame has contributed to the rise in men seeking impotence treatments, such as Viagra, online.

While discreet service is a benefit of buying Viagra online, doctors say men should still speak to their doctor face to face about their erection problems. In doing so, they can make sure that the impotence is not caused by deeper, more serious underlying health problems, such as cardiovascular disease.