Study: Vasectomies may cause dementia risk

Hudson Boy · February-16th-2007, 12:19 AM

Study: Vasectomies may cause dementia risk

EVANSTON, Ill., Feb. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have determined vasectomies might place some men at risk for an unusual form of dementia.

Northwestern University researchers discovered men with primary progressive aphasia -- a neurological disease in which people have trouble recalling and understanding words -- have a higher rate of vasectomy than men the same age who are cognitively normal.

Psychiatry Professor Sandra Weintraub, principal investigator in the study, began investigating a possible link between the surgery and PPA when one of her male patients connected the onset of his language problem at age 43 to the period after his vasectomy.

Weintraub and colleagues surveyed 47 men with PPA and 57 men with no cognitive impairment. Of the non-impaired men, 16 percent had undergone a vasectomy. In contrast, 40 percent of the men with PPA had had the surgery.

"That's a huge difference," said Weintraub, director of neuropsychology in Northwestern's Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer s Disease Center. "It doesn't mean having a vasectomy will give you this disease but it may be a risk factor to increase your chance of getting it."

The study was published in the journal Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/inde...asectomies.xml

Gary Sisco · February-16th-2007, 08:37 AM

I wonder what causes it for women.

Life is what causes dementia.

Tom Storer · February-16th-2007, 09:52 AM

I wish there had been something explaining what a simple operation has to do with the risk of neurological disease.

rollhead · February-16th-2007, 09:55 AM

Being married for a long time causes aphasia -- a neurological disease in which people have trouble recalling and understanding words -- otherwise known as tuning her out.

Gary Sisco · February-16th-2007, 10:32 AM

It works both ways, I've noticed.

Robert de St. Loup · February-16th-2007, 11:28 AM

Well, I haven't had a vasectomy but I still think I'm getting primary progressive whatchamacallit.

Dan G · February-16th-2007, 11:37 AM

Evidence that men really do think with their genitals?

Tom Storer · February-16th-2007, 12:02 PM

!

Captain Hate · February-16th-2007, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudson Boy

Psychiatry Professor Sandra Weintraub, principal investigator in the study, began investigating a possible link between the surgery and PPA when one of her male patients connected the onset of his language problem at age 43 to the period after his vasectomy.

I never had a period after my vasectomy.

Gentle Giant · February-16th-2007, 11:31 PM

I've actually been thinking of having one. Maybe I'll wait and see now. The reason vasectomies aren't advertised on TV may be because my doctor described the post-op pain as feeling like you've been kicked in the nuts for two days straight.

Ron Thorne · February-17th-2007, 03:57 AM

I truly hope that I never suffer from dementia, but if I do, I'll know that it's not due to any connection with a vasectomy, for what that's worth.

Gary Sisco · February-17th-2007, 08:22 AM

Capt H -- Good one.

I got a vasectomy years ago -- just in time for condoms to become a big deal again, dammit -- but my dementia was already showing its early signs.

walto · February-17th-2007, 08:30 AM

Quote:

The answer is very simple - discourage vasectomies and encourage bed time with post menopausal females.

Hmmmmmm. Dementia.....No Dementia..... Dementia......

Dr Dave · February-17th-2007, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tippy

The answer is very simple - discourage vasectomies and encourage bed time with post menopausal females.

Not as easy as you might think. Or else I'm looking for love in all the wrong places.

Captain Hate · February-17th-2007, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

I've actually been thinking of having one. Maybe I'll wait and see now. The reason vasectomies aren't advertised on TV may be because my doctor described the post-op pain as feeling like you've been kicked in the nuts for two days straight.

It's not really that bad (my sack swelled up pretty big, which is somewhat unusual; just make sure the sawbones gets all the rust off the blade with steel-wool), more like uncomfortable. And I'm not exactly a stoic when it comes to pain.

Gary Sisco · February-17th-2007, 09:45 AM

There's nothing to it, really. Local anesthetic. Snip, snip. Home you go, though walking bowlegged for a time. I was back at work two days later.

Order Of The Purple Plum, baby.

Captain Hate · February-17th-2007, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Order Of The Purple Plum, baby.

bostontricky · February-17th-2007, 10:56 PM

Thanks guys, you're giving me a lot to look forward to. I did luck out and grab a Friday afternoon slot three weeks out. I'll be sure to ask for some magic beans on the way out, though. I am fairly stoic, my biggest worry right now is Trickette #2, who's all elbows and knees and managed to knock me good just last night. I think we can ship the kids out to friends for the weekend.

Advice from a friend: continuous ice for the first 24 hours. (Or did he say 48?) Your jewels would be too numb from frostbite to notice any swelling.

He had the amusing anecdotes (in retrospect): his daughter came over for a sleepover the day of the deed and said "Daddy's sick", but better, he sent his wife out for frozen peas and she came back with four boxes.

Gary Sisco · February-18th-2007, 07:38 AM

Yeah, you'll want some few painkillers for comfort the first couple of days, during which you shouldn't plan to do much.

bostontricky · March-9th-2007, 05:03 PM

Oof.

Captain Hate · March-9th-2007, 05:39 PM

Two words, bt: Online Porn

steve(thelil) · March-9th-2007, 06:21 PM

I prefer my dementia without a vasectomy. Thinking that you can't pass it on to future generations takes half of the fun out of dementia.

GoodSpeak · March-9th-2007, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tippy

The answer is very simple - discourage vasectomies and encourage bed time with post menopausal females.

So you're proposing sleep?

Um.

Am I missing something here....?

tippy · March-9th-2007, 09:20 PM

No, sex with infertile women. It was a joke. It's not a realistic solution since most men probably get vasectomies as a form of family planning - that is to prevent pregnancies but they wouldn't be getting a vasectomy if the person(s) they were sleeping with could not get pregnant. Capice?

Gary Sisco · March-10th-2007, 07:58 AM

Well, only if they're married for real, Tip. I got mine while single because I was just tired of having even to think about it, not ever having wanted to become a father.

bostontricky · March-10th-2007, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Hate

Two words, bt: Online Porn

Unless there's Schaumanetic cryptology running through your post, Cap, I really need to wait about a week before I can even think about shit like that.

So far so good. The worst part so far (aside from the sawbones groping away trying to find the plumbing) was actually waking up this morning after having been zonked out on Vicodin which I took as a sleep aid, the pain has been managable. So from being stoned all night, I've got a wicked sore throat from sleeping with my jaw hanging open for hours.

Gary Sisco · March-10th-2007, 11:08 AM

Wait til the itching starts.

bostontricky · March-11th-2007, 10:39 AM

Maybe that's what triggers the dementia.

Gary Sisco · March-11th-2007, 10:56 AM

Might be. Paid up members of the Order Of The Purple Plum keep that part secret from candidates. Everyone deserves a surprise now and then.

bostontricky · March-11th-2007, 11:27 AM

If it's itching from five-o'clock-shadow, I can deal with that. That's reasonable. (But these frigging stitches have got to go)

Another "surprise" is the waiting period afterwards. What's this five-to-ten weeks bullshit? You go through with something this grave, you ought to be able to shag the RN when she comes in to tell you to get dressed.