Men: Scary News If You Had a Vasectomy

[Merric]

Men: Scary News If You Had a Vasectomy
Men who have had a vasectomy face a higher risk of developing a rare form of dementia characterized by a steady loss of language skills, Reuters reports of new research from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Specifically, the male sterilization technique has been linked to a neurological condition called primary progressive aphasia, or PPA.

The study: The team surveyed 47 men who had PPA and were being treated at Northwestern's Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center and 57 men who did not have PPA. All of the men ranged in age from 55 to 80. Typically affecting men over age 50, PPA is sometimes mistaken for Alzheimer's disease because the initial symptoms are so similar. Like Alzheimer's it is incurable, but in PPA the nerve cells die only in the area of the brain that governs language skills. Symptoms include faulty recollection of names of people and things, difficulties in speech, reading and writing, and poor comprehension.

The results: Forty percent of the men who had PPA had undergone a vasectomy, compared with just 16 percent of those who didn't have the disease. Those who had vasectomies also suffered the onset of PPA four years earlier than those who weren't sterilized. It gets worse: Preliminary data also linked vasectomies to another form of dementia involving behavioral changes, reports Reuters. Of 30 men who had frontotemporal dementia, more than one-third had had a vasectomy.

Study leader Sandra Weintraub acknowledged that the study was very small, and until more research confirms the findings she says men should not stop getting vasectomies. She also admitted it's the kind of news that scares men--and the women who love them. "I was hoping not to, but unfortunately it's the kind of news that ends up scaring people even though they may not need to be scared," Weintraub told Retuers. "This was just a clinical observation that started with one of my patients telling me that he first noticed the onset of his symptoms a couple of years after he had a vasectomy, and he wondered whether that might have something to do with it. In his mind, these things were connected."

How can a vasectomy cause PPA? Weintrab theorizes the surgery may allow sperm to leak into the blood, which would cause the immune system to produce antibodies to fight the sperm. That might trigger damage that would in turn cause dementia. The research findings were published in the journal Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology.

Anyway it seems to me those of you men here who have vasectomies might want to keep track of this subject. And I really don’t know if the monitors here would find this an acceptable excuse to post the Web Url, so if anyone wants to check on this I suggest using the title of this article in a search engine. My best wishes in the end the findings will turn out to be unrelated coincidence or something of the like and as stated towards the articles end there really is nothing to worry about. Just though you'd like to be informed is all

[JustAskJulie]

URLS to articles are allowed we just don't allow promotional/ advertising URLs. (sometimes it's a fine line and a judgement call that we have to make).

[interested-05]

hmmm, if i remember correctly, my mind started going about the time I started having wet dreams, and reading playboy.
In all seriousness, I was very reluctant to have the procedure, due to other health concerns. In the end I am glad I did, as I dont think my health, mental or otherwise, could handle having to raise kids a second time.

[edmustang]

One thing I learned very well in graduate school is that numbers can be made to say just about anything, depending on how you phrase the questions.

Any "connection" between vasectomies and PPA could very well be random chance. Dr. Weintraub even admitted that the study was small and that "it's the kind of news that ends up scaring people even though they may not need to be scared," Yet that didn't stop her from broadcasting the idea and getting all kinds of publicity for it. Hmmm.....

Further, once you make any kind of a connection it's not all that hard to find some theory to explain it, no matter how ludicrous. Since no one has yet disproven the theory, it will get even more press coverage. Hmmmm.....

This is why I don't watch the news anymore. I wouldn't take it too seriously.

[edmustang]

On a personal level...getting a vasectomy was such a great thing for me, it would be worth the risk.

[jandg]

Yeah, I had my vasectomy almost 30 years ago when I was married to my first wife...what the heck was her name???

[JoeB]

I, too, had a vasectomy over 30 years. It did effect my sex drive; increased it! I no longer had to worry about getting my wife pregant. Seriously, it one of the smarter things I did back then.

[WesternSwing]

One thing this article makes it sound like is that 40% of those that get vasectomies also get PPA. The word "unusual" is used to describe PPA, but the word not used is "rare", which you'll find on the National Aphasia Association's website. Unfortunately there are not any figures regarding cases per thousand, ten thousand, million, etc. So how rare I could not find.

The fact is that PPA is "rare" and that of all those "rare" cases 40% also had a vasectomy. 60% did not have a vasectomy. Now, I also have to wonder what percentage of men get vasectomies. Is it about the same?

I think the media did a great disservice leaving this point out and sensationalizing the issue.

Mr. WS

[Nudesailing]

I had mine about 10 years ago and I have definitely noticed myself getting dumber, Or maybe i was always dumb and just didnt pay any attention to it. lol
I do not regret getting it done.

[tribbles]

Have your testosterone level checked.

I wonder if the men with PPA have low levels? It does affect thinking and feeling.

[Darkblue]

I had my "V" done 6 years ago and errrrrm sorry i have ofrgotten wahht i wnidnet to say


steve

[SuAndBud]

Great, just GREAT!!!

I was snipped 15 years ago and read of increased cancer risks following a vasectomy around a week later.

Now this, too.

You think "Mother Nature" is telling us something? Like once you can't reproduce no more, your reason for living from "her" point of view becomes diminished so why let you hang around taking up the planet's resources?

Wonder if a reversal makes any difference?

[interested-05]

hmmm, I think i started losing my ability to think clearly about the time I first had a hard-on. what did you say your name was?

[BCinIN]

At this rate, with all these new risks these "researchers" are discovering, I can't help but think I'm going to die someday. Nah, can't be.

[cocpl2007]

Had mine well over 20 years ago. One of the single most hilarious medical events I was ever subjected to. And to think that some day it will cause me to lose my mind...well, I've got a lot of forget'n to do, maybe this'll help!

Firing blanks has been and continues to be a B L A S T!