Newsbriefs: Surgery Advice; Chronic Pain and Memory Decline
Having Surgery? Report Any Meds You Take
If you’re undergoing surgery, you need to let your doctor know about any medications you take. This is particularly important if you will be having a general anesthetic, and you shouldn’t be put off informing your doctor about your meds if the drugs treat health problems that are perceived as “sensitive.” A case in point is erectile dysfunction medications such as Viagra and Cialis—a recent news release from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists highlights the fact that these drugs can cause a patient’s blood pressure to become dangerously low when combined with anesthesia and other drugs that may be used during surgery. You’ll likely be advised to avoid taking these drugs two days before your operation, since they take about 24 hours to clear the body.
Chronic Pain Linked to Memory Decline
Older people with persistent pain show quicker declines in memory as they age, according to a new study (JAMA Internal Medicine, June 5). The 12-year study analyzed data on 10,000 participants: Those who said they were persistently troubled by moderate or severe pain in both 1998 and 2000 declined 9.2 percent faster in tests of memory function over the next 10 years than those who said they were not troubled by pain. The patients who complained about persistent pain also had a slightly greater risk for dementia. One caveat: The role of pain medications in increasing the cognitive impairment could not be estimated from this study. The additional amount of memory decline in those with persistent pain suggested that these patients would likely have a harder time with tasks of daily living, such as independently managing medications and finances. If you suffer from chronic pain, physical therapy, meditation, assistive devices and medications may help—discuss these options with your doctor.
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