Guest guest Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Prostate Drug Might Boost Heart Risks TUESDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- The commonly prescribed prostate drug doxazosin may increase heart failure risk by blocking specific receptors in heart muscle cells, an animal study suggests. Doxazosin is used to improve urinary flow in men with enlarged prostates. The drug does this by blocking the action of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors, which increase contraction of smooth muscles. By blocking these receptors, the drug relaxes muscles that control urine flow. In this study, mice that lacked alpha 1 receptors were subjected to conditions that simulated high blood pressure. Half of the mice that lacked the receptors died of heart failure, and the rest developed a serious form of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy. The deaths and heart disease in these mice were apparently due to the lack of alpha 1 signaling ability in heart muscle cells, the researchers said. Jerry Mittelman, DDS, FAPM Reply with your name and street or po box address for your free copy of The Holistic Dental Digest PLUS, now in its 27th year and helping people on 5 continents. jmittelman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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