HEALTH BULLETIN

Viagra now available online

Men who are bashful about needing help in the bedroom no longer have to go to the drugstore to buy that little blue pill. In a first for the drug industry, Pfizer Inc. told The Associated Press that the drugmaker will begin selling its popular erectile dysfunction pill Viagra directly to patients on its website. Men will still need a prescription to buy the blue, diamond-shaped pill on viagra.com, but they no longer have to face a pharmacist to get it filled. And for those who are bothered by Viagra's steep US$25-a-pill price, Pfizer is offering three free pills with the first order and 30 per cent off the second one.

- AP

Migraine drugs taken during pregnancy could lower children's intelligence

United States health regulators are warning doctors and women of childbearing age that half-a-dozen medications used to treat migraine headaches can decrease children's intelligence if taken while pregnant.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said last week that the drugs, including Depakote and Depacon, should never be taken by pregnant women for the prevention of migraine headaches. The pills, which all contain the ingredient valproate sodium, already carry a boxed warning about the risk of birth defects. But the FDA said it is adding new warnings to the drugs after a study showed they decreased IQ scores in children whose mothers took them while pregnant.

"We have even more data now that show the risks to the children outweigh any treatment benefits for this use," said Russell Katz, the FDA's director for neurology drugs.

Earlier this year, researchers at Emory University, USA reported that valproate-containing drugs were connected with an eight to 11 point reduction in IQ scores for children at age six. The study compared children whose mothers had taken different classes of neurological drugs while pregnant. The results supported similar findings from when the children were age three.

Vitamin D could boost your energy levels

A new research in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism revealed that vitamin D could boost your energy levels. In a British study, D-deficient people exercised their fatigued calf muscles under a special kind of machine that measures cells' mitochondria, which generate energy. After the participants took vitamin D supplements, their mitochondrial function improved, and feelings of fatigue diminished.

It's the first scientific link between vitamin D and mitochondrial activity, which is essential for muscular endurance, says lead researcher Akash Sinha, of Newcastle University, United Kingdom.

Sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D - 10 to 15 minutes of exposure provides a good dose - but the vitamin is also abundant in some fish. The Institute of Medicine recommends a dietary intake of 600 IU per day, which is the equivalent of three ounces of cooked salmon. Fortified milk is a good source as well. You can also take a supplement.