Complete Guide To Fasting – By Dr. Jason Fung
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When it comes to intermittent fasting, the plethora of options can be daunting at first, as can such questions as what fluids are ok to take vs what will break the fast, what to expect in terms of your first fasting experience, and how not to accidentally self-sabotage.
Practised well, intermittent fasting can be a very freeing experience, and not at all uncomfortable. Practised badly, it can be absolutely miserable, and this is one of those things where knowledge makes the difference.
Dr. Fung (yes, the same Dr. Fung we’ve featured before as an expert on metabolic health) shares this knowledge over the course of 304 pages, with lots of scientific information and insider tips. He covers the different kinds of fasting, how each of them work and what they do for the body and brain, hunger/satiety hacks, lots of “frequently asked questions”, and even a range of recipes to help smooth your journey along its way.
The style is very well-written pop-science; it’s engaging and straightforward without skimping on science at all.
Bottom line: if you’re thinking of trying intermittent fasting but aren’t sure where/how to best get started, this book can set you off on the right foot and keep you on the right track thereafter.
Click here to check out The Complete Guide to Fasting, and enjoy the process as well as the results!
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Statins: His & Hers?
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The Hidden Complexities of Statins and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
This is Dr. Barbara Roberts. She’s a cardiologist and the Director of the Women’s Cardiac Center at one of the Brown University Medical School teaching hospitals. She’s an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and takes care of patients, teaches medical students, and does clinical research. She specializes in gender-specific aspects of heart disease, and in heart disease prevention.
We previously reviewed Dr. Barbara Roberts’ excellent book “The Truth About Statins: Risks and Alternatives to Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs”. It prompted some requests to do a main feature about Statins, so we’re doing it today. It’s under the auspices of “Expert Insights” as we’ll be drawing almost entirely from Dr. Roberts’ work.
So, what are the risks of statins?
According to Dr. Roberts, one of the biggest risks is not just drug side-effects or anything like that, but rather, what they simply won’t treat. This is because statins will lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, without necessarily treating the underlying cause.
Imagine you got Covid, and it’s one of the earlier strains that’s more likely deadly than “merely” debilitating.
You’re coughing and your throat feels like you gargled glass.
Your doctor gives you a miracle cough medicine that stops your coughing and makes your throat feel much better.
(Then a few weeks later, you die, because this did absolutely nothing for the underlying problem)
You see the problem?
Are there problematic side-effects too, though?
There can be. But of course, all drugs can have side effects! So that’s not necessarily news, but what’s relevant here is the kind of track these side-effects can lead one down.
For example, Dr. Roberts cites a case in which a woman’s LDL levels were high and she was prescribed simvastatin (Zocor), 20mg/day. Here’s what happened, in sequence:
- She started getting panic attacks. So, her doctor prescribed her sertraline (Zoloft) (a very common SSRI antidepressant) and when that didn’t fix it, paroxetine (Paxil). This didn’t work either… because the problem was not actually her mental health. The panic attacks got worse…
- Then, while exercising, she started noticing progressive arm and leg weakness. Her doctor finally took her off the simvastatin, and temporarily switched to ezetimibe (Zetia), a less powerful nonstatin drug that blocks cholesterol absorption, which change eased her arm and leg problem.
- As the Zetia was a stopgap measure, the doctor put her on atorvastatin (Lipitor). Now she got episodes of severe chest pressure, and a skyrocketing heart rate. She also got tremors and lost her body temperature regulation.
- So the doctor stopped the atorvastatin and tried rosovastatin (Crestor), on which she now suffered exhaustion (we’re not surprised, by this point) and muscle pains in her arms and chest.
- So the doctor stopped the rosovastatin and tried lovastatin (Mevacor), and now she had the same symptoms as before, plus light-headedness.
- So the doctor stopped the lovastatin and tried fluvastatin (Lescol). Same thing happened.
- So he stopped the fluvastatin and tried pravastatin (Pravachol), without improvement.
- So finally he took her off all these statins because the high LDL was less deleterious to her life than all these things.
- She did her own research, and went back to the doctor to ask for cholestyramine (Questran), which is a bile acid sequestrent and nothing to do with statins. She also asked for a long-acting niacin. In high doses, niacin (one of the B-vitamins) raises HDL (good) cholesterol, lowers LDL, and lowers tryglycerides.
- Her own non-statin self-prescription (with her doctor’s signature) worked, and she went back to her life, her work, and took up running.
Quite a treatment journey! Want to know more about the option that actually worked?
Read: Bile Acid Resins or Sequestrants
What are the gender differences you/she mentioned?
Actually mostly sex differences, since this appears to be hormonal (which means that if your hormones change, so will your risk). A lot of this is still pending more research—basically it’s a similar problem in heart disease to one we’ve previously talked about with regard to diabetes. Diabetes disproportionately affects black people, while diabetes research disproportionately focuses on white people.
In this case, most heart disease research has focused on men, with women often not merely going unresearched, but also often undiagnosed and untreated until it’s too late. And the treatments, if prescribed? Assumed to be the same as for men.
Dr. Roberts tells of how medicine is taught:
❝When I was in medical school, my professors took the “bikini approach” to women’s health: women’s health meant breasts and reproductive organs. Otherwise the prototypical patient was presented as a man.❞
There has been some research done with statins and women, though! Just, still not a lot. But we do know for example that some statins can be especially useful for treating women’s atherosclerosis—with a 50% success rate, rather than 31% for men.
For lowering LDL itself, however, it can work but is generally not so hot in women.
Fun fact:
In men:
- High total cholesterol
- High non-HDL cholesterol
- High LDL cholesterol
- Low HDL cholesterol
…are all significantly associated with an increased risk of death from CVD.
In women:
…levels of LDL cholesterol even more than 190 were associated with only a small, statistically insignificant increased risk of dying from CVD.
So…
The fact that women derive less benefit from a medicine that mainly lowers LDL cholesterol, may be because elevated LDL cholesterol is less harmful to women than it is to men.
And also: Treatment and Response to Statins: Gender-related Differences
And for that matter: Women Versus Men: Is There Equal Benefit and Safety from Statins?*
Definitely a case where Betteridge’s Law of Headlines applies!
What should women do to avoid dying of CVD, then?
First, quick reminder of our general disclaimer: we can’t give medical advice and nothing here comprises such. However… One particularly relevant thing we found illuminating in Dr. Roberts’ work was this observation:
The metabolic syndrome is diagnosed if you have three (or more) out of five of the following:
- Abdominal obesity (waist >35″ if a woman or >40″ if a man)
- Fasting blood sugars of 100mg/dl or more
- Fasting triglycerides of 150mg/dl or more
- Blood pressure of 130/85 or higher
- HDL <50 if a woman or <40 if a man
And yet… because these things can be addressed with exercise and a healthy diet, which neither pharmaceutical companies nor insurance companies have a particular stake in, there’s a lot of focus instead on LDL levels (since there are a flock of statins that can be sold be lower them)… Which, Dr. Roberts says, is not nearly as critical for women.
So women end up getting prescribed statins that cause panic attacks and all those things we mentioned earlier… To lower our LDL, which isn’t nearly as big a factor as the other things.
In summary:
Statins do have their place, especially for men. They can, however, mask underlying problems that need treatment—which becomes counterproductive.
When it comes to women, statins are—in broad terms—statistically not as good. They are a little more likely to be helpful specifically in cases of atherosclerosis, whereby they have a 50/50 chance of helping.
For women in particular, it may be worthwhile looking into alternative non-statin drugs, and, for everyone: diet and exercise.
Further reading: How Can I Safely Come Off Statins?
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Why ’10almonds’? Newsletter Name Explained
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It’s Q&A Day!
Each Thursday, we respond to subscriber questions and requests! If it’s something small, we’ll answer it directly; if it’s something bigger, we’ll do a main feature in a follow-up day instead!
So, no question/request to big or small; they’ll just get sorted accordingly
Remember, you can always hit reply to any of our emails, or use the handy feedback widget at the bottom. We always look forward to hearing from you!
Q: Why is your newsletter called 10almonds? Maybe I missed it in the intro email, but my curiosity wants to know the significance. Thanks!”
It’s a reference to a viral Facebook hoax! There was a post going around that claimed:
❝HEADACHE REMEDY. Eat 10–12 almonds, the equivalent of two aspirins, next time you have a headache❞ ← not true!
It made us think about how much health-related disinformation there was online… So, calling ourselves 10almonds was a bit of a tongue-in-cheek reference to that story… but also a reminder to ourselves:
We must always publish information with good scientific evidence behind it!
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Having an x-ray to diagnose knee arthritis might make you more likely to consider potentially unnecessary surgery
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Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain and disability, affecting more than two million Australians.
Routine x-rays aren’t recommended to diagnose the condition. Instead, GPs can make a diagnosis based on symptoms and medical history.
Yet nearly half of new patients with knee osteoarthritis who visit a GP in Australia are referred for imaging. Osteoarthritis imaging costs the health system A$104.7 million each year.
Our new study shows using x-rays to diagnose knee osteoarthritis can affect how a person thinks about their knee pain – and can prompt them to consider potentially unnecessary knee replacement surgery.
pikselstock/Shutterstock What happens when you get osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis arises from joint changes and the joint working extra hard to repair itself. It affects the entire joint, including the bones, cartilage, ligaments and muscles.
It is most common in older adults, people with a high body weight and those with a history of knee injury.
Many people with knee osteoarthritis experience persistent pain and have difficulties with everyday activities such as walking and climbing stairs.
How is it treated?
In 2021–22, more than 53,000 Australians had knee replacement surgery for osteoarthritis.
Hospital services for osteoarthritis, primarily driven by joint replacement surgery, cost $3.7 billion in 2020–21.
While joint replacement surgery is often viewed as inevitable for osteoarthritis, it should only be considered for those with severe symptoms who have already tried appropriate non-surgical treatments. Surgery carries the risk of serious adverse events, such as blood clot or infection, and not everyone makes a full recovery.
Most people with knee osteoarthritis can manage it effectively with:
- education and self-management
- exercise and physical activity
- weight management (if necessary)
- medicines for pain relief (such as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
Debunking a common misconception
A common misconception is that osteoarthritis is caused by “wear and tear”.
However, research shows the extent of structural changes seen in a joint on an x-ray does not reflect the level of pain or disability a person experiences, nor does it predict how symptoms will change.
Some people with minimal joint changes have very bad symptoms, while others with more joint changes have only mild symptoms. This is why routine x-rays aren’t recommended for diagnosing knee osteoarthritis or guiding treatment decisions.
Instead, guidelines recommend a “clinical diagnosis” based on a person’s age (being 45 years or over) and symptoms: experiencing joint pain with activity and, in the morning, having no joint-stiffness or stiffness that lasts less than 30 minutes.
Despite this, many health professionals in Australia continue to use x-rays to diagnose knee osteoarthritis. And many people with osteoarthritis still expect or want them.
What did our study investigate?
Our study aimed to find out if using x-rays to diagnose knee osteoarthritis affects a person’s beliefs about osteoarthritis management, compared to a getting a clinical diagnosis without x-rays.
We recruited 617 people from across Australia and randomly assigned them to watch one of three videos. Each video showed a hypothetical consultation with a general practitioner about knee pain.
People with knee osteoarthritis can have difficulties getting down stairs. beeboys/Shutterstock One group received a clinical diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis based on age and symptoms, without being sent for an x-ray.
The other two groups had x-rays to determine their diagnosis (the doctor showed one group their x-ray images and not the other).
After watching their assigned video, participants completed a survey about their beliefs about osteoarthritis management.
What did we find?
People who received an x-ray-based diagnosis and were shown their x-ray images had a 36% higher perceived need for knee replacement surgery than those who received a clinical diagnosis (without x-ray).
They also believed exercise and physical activity could be more harmful to their joint, were more worried about their condition worsening, and were more fearful of movement.
Interestingly, people were slightly more satisfied with an x-ray-based diagnosis than a clinical diagnosis.
This may reflect the common misconception that osteoarthritis is caused by “wear and tear” and an assumption that the “damage” inside the joint needs to be seen to guide treatment.
What does this mean for people with osteoarthritis?
Our findings show why it’s important to avoid unnecessary x-rays when diagnosing knee osteoarthritis.
While changing clinical practice can be challenging, reducing unnecessary x-rays could help ease patient anxiety, prevent unnecessary concern about joint damage, and reduce demand for costly and potentially unnecessary joint replacement surgery.
It could also help reduce exposure to medical radiation and lower health-care costs.
Previous research in osteoarthritis, as well as back and shoulder pain, similarly shows that when health professionals focus on joint “wear and tear” it can make patients more anxious about their condition and concerned about damaging their joints.
If you have knee osteoarthritis, know that routine x-rays aren’t needed for diagnosis or to determine the best treatment for you. Getting an x-ray can make you more concerned and more open to surgery. But there are a range of non-surgical options that could reduce pain, improve mobility and are less invasive.
Belinda Lawford, Senior Research Fellow in Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne; Kim Bennell, Professor of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne; Rana Hinman, Professor in Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, and Travis Haber, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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‘I’m a failure’: how schema therapy tackles the deep-rooted beliefs that affect our mental health
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
If you ever find yourself stuck in repeated cycles of negative emotion, you’re not alone.
More than 40% of Australians will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime. Many are linked to deep-rooted feelings that develop from childhood experiences.
Changing these lifelong patterns takes time, energy and support. For some people, schema therapy can help.
Jorm Sangsorn/Shutterstock What is schema therapy?
Schema therapy was developed in the 1990s by psychologist Jeffrey Young as an extension of cognitive behaviour therapy.
Cognitive behaviour therapy is a popular psychotherapy that helps people change problematic patterns in their thoughts and behaviour, improving how they feel.
Among psychological interventions, cognitive behaviour therapy has the strongest evidence for successfully treating the majority of mental health problems.
However, not all conditions benefit from it.
Cognitive behaviour therapy is brief (usually delivered across 10–12 sessions) and focuses on changing the “here and now”. But more complex issues – or those tied strongly to past experiences, such as multiple traumas – may need longer-term therapy.
Like cognitive behaviour therapy, schema therapy aims to help reframe unhelpful ways of thinking through regular sessions with a psychotherapist.
But instead of prioritising everyday challenges, it uncovers deep-rooted beliefs, explores how and why they formed, and how they affect day-to-day life and people’s perceptions of themselves.
What are schemas?
“Schemas” are mental blueprints that filter how we see ourselves, others and the world. Most of us are not consciously aware of them.
Yet schemas run deep. Problematic ones – such as “I am a failure” or “others can’t be trusted” or “the world is scary and unsafe” – can affect our mental health and lead us to destructive patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
For example, someone with a “failure” schema may be highly sensitive to criticism, experience crippling anxiety, and have low self-worth. Having a “mistrust” schema may cause issues with forming close relationships and lead to loneliness and depression.
Schemas run deep and can make us feel stuck. Raul Mallado Ortiz/Shutterstock How does schema therapy work?
Therapists may specialise in schema therapy through additional training and supervision, which can lead to accreditation with the International Society of Schema Therapy.
During schema therapy you and your therapist will discuss your current concerns and develop a safe and trusting relationship before exploring the problematic schemas that are affecting you today. Schema therapy may involve talking, completing a schema questionnaire, and engaging in therapeutic activities during and in between sessions.
These activities are tailored to your situation, once you’ve explored which schemas affect you and what negative emotions arise. They are designed to help you process and heal from negative feelings such as helplessness, anger and shame.
One such activity involves using mental imagery to revisit challenging experiences in your past and to reframe how you think about them.
Another is to use empty chairs in the therapy room to speak to the different parts of yourself that are connected to the negative emotions. For example, talking to your child self, or to the side of you that tries to hide your feelings from others.
After this you will work with your therapist to come up with positive behaviour change strategies and apply them in daily life. These could include things such as reducing procrastination and self-sacrificing behaviour (prioritising others’ needs over your own), regulating emotions, and setting healthy boundaries in relationships.
Who does it work for?
Schema therapy was specifically designed to help conditions that don’t respond to cognitive behaviour therapy. Since the early nineties, it has shown promise among people experiencing chronic depression and personality disorders, and people in prisons.
Schema therapy is increasingly being used with children and adolescents, as it can effectively be adapted to suit younger age groups and help them understand the complex psychological processes involved.
Schema therapy can take more time than some other approaches, including cognitive behaviour therapy. You may be working with your therapist for several months to a year before seeing real results.
It is likely to benefit people who can commit to the time needed and prioritise their therapy tasks over other things.
Like all therapies, schema therapy will take emotional energy. As you implement changes planned in therapy, enlisting the support of close friends or family may help you achieve long-lasting change.
Schema therapy can be effectively adapted for children and young people. SeventyFour/Shutterstock I’m interested in schema therapy – what next?
Maybe you are experiencing a problem that short-term therapies don’t easily address.
Perhaps you have already tried cognitive behaviour therapy and have noticed some improvements in your mental health, but realise you still have some way to go. Or it’s possible you have exhausted self-help options and are looking for something that will change the deep-rooted feelings you think are connected to your past.
Learning about different therapy approaches is the first step in finding the right help for you.
The Schema Therapy Institute Australia has a list of schema therapists practising around the country.
You may see “schema therapy” listed as a therapy approach on your local psychology practices’ web pages. You can also ask your GP about referrals using Medicare options.
Catherine Houlihan, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of the Sunshine Coast and Andrew Allen, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of the Sunshine Coast
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Crawl Daily To Stay Young!
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On a scale of “can get up off the floor without using one’s hands” to “winning breakdancing competitions”, crawling is somewhere in the middle in terms of mobility.
Since the former is a critical predictor of healthy longevity (and the latter is not too important for most of us), crawling means we stay well within the mobility “safe zone”.
Which, after all, is where we need to be. But how? Will any kind of crawling do it? How much do we need to crawl?
Foundational moves
For the most part, modern adults have lost the ability to move naturally on the ground, and this omission accelerates physical aging when it comes to loss of mobility.
However, we not be motivated only by fear of loss of movement, there are positive gains to be made too; Vanja (in the video) lists the following benefits, and we have some thoughts on them too:
- Improves hip, ankle, and shoulder mobility
- This one’s quite self-explanatory; these are commonly-lost things with big impacts!
- Builds wrist and core strength through weight-bearing positions
- Grip strength is very strongly inversely correlated with frailty in older age
- Trains lateral movement and cross-body coordination
- This may seem like something that only a gym-bunny might care about, but this also means “don’t put your back out while putting the groceries away”
- Improves spinal mobility and reflexes
- This way you also don’t put your back out while, for example, reflexively catching a falling object
- Boosts agility, stability, and athletic carryover
- Be the kind of person who doesn’t “have a fall” and see a rapid decline of health thereafter
- Creates (well-founded) confidence due to learning to fall safely
- Meaning that if you do fall, you can laugh it off instead of getting an ambulance ride
Now, on to how to do it. Of course, we’re sure you know the basics of how to crawl, but to get a full range of motion, consider adding:
- Forward crab: builds hip flexion, ankle mobility, wrist and shoulder integrity, and resilience.
- Side crab: strengthens obliques and hips, improves knee stability, and restores lateral agility.
- Quadrupedal walk: reconnects opposite hand and foot coordination, enhances spinal mobility, and builds total-body endurance.
- Forward scoot: trains shoulder extension, posterior chain activation, and core synchronization.
- Sideways scoot: develops lateral hip and oblique strength, and dynamic shoulder stability.
- Handstand kick-up: builds balance, shoulder extension, proprioception, and resilience under inversion ← ok, this one’s a bit more advanced, but when was the last time you did a handstand, and don’t you want to enjoy some of that youthfulness still?
Writer’s anecdote: the last time I did a handstand was about a year ago; I was writing an article for 10almonds, and wondered if I could do a handstand, just against the wall. So, I tried, and the good news is, I could! The bad news is, I was wearing a dress, the dress of course fell promptly around my head, I couldn’t see where to safely return to the ground normally (so many bookcases in this room), so I had to crumple directly downwards instead, laughing at my lack of foresight :p
For more on all of this (apart from my antics) plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
Mobility For Now & For Later: Train For The Marathon That Is Your Life!
Take care!
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- Improves hip, ankle, and shoulder mobility
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What is Ryeqo, the recently approved medicine for endometriosis?
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For women diagnosed with endometriosis it is often a long sentence of chronic pain and cramping that impacts their daily life. It is a condition that is both difficult to diagnose and treat, with many women needing either surgery or regular medication.
A medicine called Ryeqo has just been approved for marketing specifically for endometriosis, although it was already available in Australia to treat a different condition.
Women who want the drug will need to consult their local doctor and, as it is not yet on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, they will need to pay the full cost of the script.
What does Ryeqo do?
Endometriosis affects 14% of women of reproductive age. While we don’t have a full understanding of the cause, the evidence suggests it’s due to body tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus (called the endometrium) growing outside the uterus. This causes pain and inflammation, which reduces quality of life and can also affect fertility.
Ryeqo is a tablet containing three different active ingredients: relugolix, estradiol and norethisterone.
Relugolix is a drug that blocks a particular peptide from releasing other hormones. It is also used in the treatment of prostate cancer. Estradiol is a naturally occurring oestrogen hormone in women that helps regulate the menstrual cycle and is used in menopausal hormone therapy. Norethisterone is a synthetic hormone commonly used in birth control medications and to delay menstruation and help with heavy menstrual bleeding.
All three components work together to regulate the levels of oestrogen and progesterone in the body that contribute to endometriosis, alleviating its symptoms.
Relugolix reduces the overall levels of oestrogen and progesterone in the body. The estradiol compensates for the loss of oestrogen because low oestrogen levels can cause hot flushes (also called hot flashes) and bone density loss. And norethisterone blocks the effects of estradiol on the uterus (where too much tissue growth is unwanted).
Is it really new?
The maker of Ryeqo claims it is the first new drug for endometriosis in Australia in 13 years.
But individually, all three active ingredients in Ryeqo have been in use since 2019 or earlier.
Ryeqo has been available in Australia since 2022, but until now was not specifically indicated for endometriosis. It was originally approved for the treatment of uterine fibroids, which share some common symptoms with endometriosis and have related causes.
In addition to Ryeqo, current medical guidance lists other drugs that are suitable for endometriosis and some reformulations of these have also only been recently approved.
The oral medicine Dienogest was approved in 2021, and there have been a number of injectable drugs for endometriosis recently approved, such as Sayana Press which was approved in a smaller dose form for self-injection in 2023.
You can’t take the contraceptive pill with Ryeqo but the endometriosis drug could replace it.
ShutterstockHow to take it and what not to do
Ryeqo is a once-a-day tablet. You can take it with, or without food, but it should be taken about the same time each day.
It is recommended you start taking Ryeqo within the first five days after the start of your next period. If you start at another time during your period, you may experience initial irregular or heavier bleeding.
Because it contains both synthetic and natural hormones, you can’t use the contraceptive pill and Ryeqo together. However, because Ryeqo does contain norethisterone it can be used as your contraception, although it will take at least one month of use to be effective. So, if you are on Ryeqo, you should use a non-hormonal contraceptive – such as condoms – for a month when starting the medicine.
Ryeqo may be incompatible with other medicines. It might not be suitable for you if you take medicines for epilepsy, HIV and AIDS, hepatitis C, fungal or bacterial infections, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, angina (chest pain), or organ rejection. You should also not take Ryeqo if you have a liver tumour or liver disease.
The possible side effects of Ryeqo are similar to those of oral contraceptives. Blood clots are a risk with any medicine that contains an oestrogen or a progestogen, which Ryeqo does. Other potential side effects include bone loss, a reduction in menstrual blood loss or loss of your period.
It’s costly for now
Ryeqo can now be prescribed in Australia, so you should discuss whether Ryeqo is right for you with the doctor you usually consult for your endometriosis.
While the maker has made a submission to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, it is not yet subsidised by the Australian government. This means that rather than paying the normal PBS price of up to A$31.60, it has been reported it may cost as much as $135 for a one-month supply. The committee will make a decision on whether to subsidise Ryeqo at its meeting next month.
Correction: this article has been updated to clarify the recent approval of specific formulations of drugs for endometriosis.
Nial Wheate, Associate Professor of the School of Pharmacy, University of Sydney and Jasmine Lee, Pharmacist and PhD Candidate, University of Sydney
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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