Talk on health awareness

An evening dedicated to health awareness for men and women was recently held at the Calypso Hotel, Marsalforn.

While heart-related problems and diabetes are well known, little attention is given to erectile dysfunction (ED) and prostate-related problems in men and osteoporosis in women.

During the event, Mr Karl German explained how people with diabetes or high blood pressure are at higher risk of developing ED. The prevalence of ED also increases with age, he said. He emphasised how treatment for ED has been made simple, now more than ever, with the availability of oral PDE5 inhibitor tablets such as sildenafil, vardenafil and tadalafil, the latter having the longest duration of action of up to 36 hours.

Mr Steve Mattocks spoke an prostate health, highlighting the importance of PSA testing for men over 50. Benign prostatic hypertrophy is one of the most common conditions. However due to the availability of alpha blockers treatment has been made possible.

Dr Robert Sciberras defined osteoporosis as a silent disease affecting bone strength, which occurs more frequently in women due to loss of oestrogen after menopause. Highlighting the minor and major risk factors, he also stressed the importance of early treatment, with lifestyle modifications relating to diet and exercise, among others, and with a calcium and vitamin D supplement.

Should these not suffice, treatment alternatives like raloxifene (SERM), bisphosphonates and more recently teriparatide are available. The latter is indicated for severe osteoporosis because of its unique bone anabolic properties.

The event was sponsored by Eli Lilly.