Natural therapies used by adult men for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and for augmenting exercise performance.

It is estimated that over 15% of men use natural biologic-based therapies, which includes herbal products and supplements. There are certain conditions that are specific to men, such as erectile dysfunction and benign prostatic hypertrophy, for which there is some evidence of the efficacy and safety of herbal medications. Furthermore, men may also be more likely to use supplements for energy improvement, muscle gain, and exercise tolerance, and there are a number of supplements proven to aid in these.

Role of acetyl-L-carnitine in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Objective: To examine the role of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

Data Sources: A MEDLINE search (1966-April 2008) of the English-language literature was performed using the search terms carnitine, diabetes, nerve, and neuropathy. Studies identified were then cross-referenced for their citations.

Use of 5-HT1 agonists in pregnancy.

Objective: To report and evaluate available data on the use of serotonin 5-HT(1) agonists (triptans) during pregnancy.

Data Sources: A PubMed search, limited to English-language articles on human subjects, was conducted (1990-December 2007) using the search terms pregnancy, migraine, and the individual triptan drug names. In addition, the manufacturers of all 7 available triptans were contacted regarding the existence of a pregnancy registry for their drug(s) and the availability of registry reports.