Jeremy Hunt says he wants to triple the number of existing NHS staff getting nursing qualifications.

One woman living with anorexia said it could “damage” the mental health of those with the condition.

An erection is the process through which the penis becomes rigid enough for penetrative intercourse.

Not being able to get a satisfactory erection is called erectile dysfunction (ED). While ED tends to be more of an issue in older men, it is not uncommon for younger men also to have erectile problems.

Most men aim for an effortless, rock-hard erection, which is most commonly measured using the angle between the penis and your legs.

Erect penises can point upwards, straight ahead or downwards (and anywhere between), depending on factors like the tension of the suspensory ligament, the level of arousal – and of course one’s age. Individual size, thickness and shape also have an effect on the angle of an erection.

Another factor is that many penises aren’t 100% straight, but curve upward, downward or to one side. This is quite normal and a slightly bent penis is no reason for concern. However, scar tissue in the penis, usually caused by injury, can cause it to bend more severely. This is called Peyronie’s Disease.

Age and angle

18 years

At this age, a man will have rock-hard erections without much stimulation. He will also be able to get hard and ejaculate repeatedly. Sexual experiences at this age will have a strong influence on his sexual development.

At this age the angle of an erection can be expected to be 145 to 135 degrees.   

25 years

A man is at his physical peak. In most cases this is the period of a man’s life where he is sexually most active. He is still capable of quick, easy erections and multiple orgasms.

Stress and lifestyle issues may already start taking their toll on the hardness of his erections.

His angle should be 135 to 120 degrees.

35 years

He is sexually mature and still performing well. If he has been looking after his health, his erections should still be hard. Poor lifestyle habits may start to cause health problems like diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnoea and being overweight, which could have an effect on his erections.

At this age his angle should be 120 to 100 degrees.

45 years

The sins of the past are starting to have an effect and it might take longer to achieve a full erection. The period between erections also gets longer. This is also the age where prescription erection drugs may become useful.

The average angle of erection at this age can be expected to be around 110 to 90 degrees.

55 years

You might still be performing well in the bedroom, especially if you are in good health. The period between achieving erections will have become even longer. Many men of this age might be dependent on prescription erection drugs to get hard enough for satisfactory sexual intercourse.

Expected erection angle is 100 to 80 degrees.

65 years

Hardness is a problem in all except the healthiest men, and only one erection a day might be possible. Conditions like atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension and other lifestyle diseases may make erections a rarity in many cases. Medication may or may not help with erections. 

Erection angle may only be 90 to 80 degrees.

^{Image credits: iStock}

^{Reference: The Hardness Factor by Steven Lamm, M.D.}

Eugene Lotter

Nearly one-quarter of kidney dialysis patients admitted to the hospital are readmitted within 30 days after discharge, a new study finds.

In many cases, the re-admissions are for a different problem than the one that led to the first hospitalisation, according to the report.

The study was published online in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a procedure done on people with near-end renal failure. The role of a healthy kidney is to flush out excess fluid and wastes. The kidneys also produce hormones that keep your bones strong, blood chemically balanced and stimulate your bone marrow to make red blood cells. These cells carry oxygen in your blood to your organs.

When your kidneys are failing, your body can’t discard of excess fluid and waste. This is where dialysis takes over the function of the kidneys.

Unfortunately this is a very expensive treatment option and not permanently viable. 

What did the study entail?

For the study, researchers reviewed data from nearly 391 000 initial hospitalisations of dialysis patients in the United States in 2013. Within 30 days after leaving the hospital, 22% of the patients had unplanned re-admissions. Only 20% of those re-admissions were for the same diagnosis as the first admission, the findings showed.

Just 2% of all patients accounted for 20% of all re-admissions. Women and younger people were more likely to be readmitted, the researchers found. In addition, people who were depressed, had liver disease, heart failure or who abused drugs were more likely to end up back in the hospital.

How to reduce hospital readmission

“To reduce re-admissions in dialysis patients, perhaps a good starting place would be to institute interventions targeted at high utilisers and create a validated risk score incorporating likely risk factors,” study co-lead author Dr Girish Nadkarni, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, said in a news release from the American Society of Nephrology.

^{Image credit: iStock}

Do you think you’re doing your body a favour by cutting out gluten completely?

Gluten-free diets are increasingly popular, but they’re not a good idea for everyone, doctors say.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a type of protein found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley. Only people with conditions that require them to avoid gluten – such as coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity – should go completely gluten-free, said Dr Christopher Heron, a family medicine physician at Penn State Medical Group in State College.

“The grains found in wheat products are essential to overall health. They provide nutrients that aren’t found in most gluten-free foods, Heron said in a university news release.

That’s why many people with coeliac disease need to take a multivitamin, he said.

Why do people get coeliac disease?

The immune systems of some people react poorly to gluten, resulting in conditions such as coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity.

“Coeliac disease primarily causes inflammation in the small intestine, which makes it difficult to absorb nutrients from food,” Heron explained. Weight loss, diarrhoea and indigestion are typical symptoms of the disease.

Gluten-free not the path to weight-loss

With gluten-free products now widely available, many healthy people believe these foods can help them lose weight or reduce indigestion or fatigue, the doctors noted.

“Rather than going gluten-free, people who don’t suffer from a gluten-related disease should shoot for a healthier diet overall by managing portion size and being aware of foods’ nutritional content,” said Dr Lauren Schneekloth, a family medicine physician at Penn State Medical Group.

A previous Health24 article confirms that going gluten-free does not have any additional health benefits, especially not when it comes to heart health. It is also important to keep in mind that gluten-free products can cost twice as much as products with gluten. 

^{Image credit: iStock}