The hits keep coming!
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24959691/
It is great to finally see this study published!
Wow!
As someone in academia, let me say that PLoS One is a really good journal with a great impact factor. This is big thing. Small sample size in the research, however.
I like the italian researchers way anyway. Theyre publishing a new study each month.
Next up for Kenneth C. Frazier: Being called in front of a Congressional Committee on product safety.
As he should have been years ago.
This is the most important study so far, along with Melcangi’s study on Neurosteroids.
They show objective differences. And a clear pattern that can be linked to Finasteride. The importance here really cannot be understated.
In fact these tests may be able to be utilised as an objective proof in legal actions.
I wonder if this means there is no Small Fiber neuropathy in genital skin?
As you can see, the Italian researchers having been cranking out publications and they’ve only been working on this for two years so far I think. One reason they have been able to move faster is because they are having an easier time getting participants. Maybe the Italian men want to get better more than people here in the US? I don’t think anyone here can complain now that we have not heard anything or that we are left in the dark. There have been at least 3 publications within the year about PFS via the researchers the foundation is supporting, and some not even related to the PFS foundation.
If you have not participated in the research studies yet I highly advise you to go. Dr. Khera’s study will be delving further into the AR problem mentioned in this paper and will look at epigenetics, etc. to determine why we have differential expression. Once these studies are published the whole medical community of andrologists, endocrinologists, and neurologists will believe in PFS and possibly contribute to finding a treatment. Many doctors who before did not believe PFS exists will see these studies and finally believe us. The number of scientific minds (MD and PhDs) working on PFS will grow exponentially. So go participate in the studies!
This is absolutely wonderful.
My most sincere thanks to the researchers, the participants, the PFS Foundation, and of course Awor and Mew for their efforts.
Congratulations everyone. This is a crucial step, and for this one moment I cannot help but have a positive feeling.
Keep fighting and please feel better. If we all work together, one day we will have our lives back.
Thank you so much.
The problem – for Merck – is that PFS won’t be an open-and-shut case.
In other words, they can’t just fight the claims in court, agree to a settlement, have everyone sign gag orders, and be done with it.
No.
As more and more scientific evidence emerges to support (KCF’s favorite word) causation, more and more men will be diagnosed with PFS, which will happen far and wide – across the globe, including famous men.
Worse is that the public will demand to know why Merck did not address the problem years earlier, when they first started getting complaints. At that point, all they did – clearly on the record – was deny, deny, deny.
But like the CEO of General Motors, Congress will eventually drag KCF down to Capitol Hill to answer for the company’s egregious lack of attention to this public health matter.
Awesome stuff!
Questions for Mew / Awor
-Is this the study that showed “clear, molecular changes” ?
-Is this a pilot study, or the follow up to the pilot study ?
-Is their research currently underway to continue in this avenue ?
Thanks
Yeah, so many questions… why does higher nerve density cause numbness and ed? Does this study show there is an epigenetic change or AR gene expression change?
Will this study make the average doctor believe that PFS is real ?
Probably not. They will claim that not enough people participated.
True. Only 8 PFS patients, and 11 controls.
Current research is looking for 25 PFS patients.
PR123, I know you want Merck to be held accountable as we all do, but don’t get too excited. Don’t underestimate the power and influence these pharmaceutical companies have over politicians and congress. The CEO during the Vioxx scandal resigned but got to keep his 50+ million dollars he made and now I believe he is a professor at Harvard business school. The same will be done with Kenneth Frazier. They’ll resign to make it seem like they are punishing those at fault and KFC will keep his money and just go work somewhere else. Don’t expect much justice and lets just focus on trying to get out of this mess. As glum as the article sounds, if people recovered I don’t see why this would be irreversible.
This is promising. Also a bit scary. Hope its not some irreversible genetic mutations. But 5ar pathways are implicated in some way. If only they can re sensitize the cells to 5ar activity. I am not sure of the mechanisms at play but it makes since that the 5ar inhibitor messed up biological processes involved with the enzyme. I think a full recovery would be possible from correcting that single process somehow. Whatever is permanently disrupted needs to be identified and then look into reversing this somehow.
The PLOS ONE study was certainly well-designed - they made sure to exclude controls who took ‘any other drug capable of impairing androgens’ like Saw Palmetto, Accutane, Dutasteride, SSRIs, as this would have compromised the study:
The results were statistically significant at around the 2% level - all competent/intellectually honest doctors will admit there is strong evidence showing physiological differences between people who report having PFS and controls.
The problem is more that we don’t know much about why the AR density would vary between groups. Doctors who get confused may end up drawing some stupid conclusion about the study.
That’s exactly what I am afraid of.
I have no doubts it can at least be treated/improved.
If my crash was considered the acute stage of this syndrome, I have clearly and slowly progressed better and better, so it can be reversed over time, hopefully also with treatment