Basketball Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Daly Creates Game Plan to Manage the Symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Basketball coaching legend and a leading men's health advocacy organization

team up to raise awareness of one of the most common and manageable health

problems in older men

    BRIDGEWATER, N.J., June 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hall of Fame
 basketball coach Chuck Daly and a leading men's health organization
 dedicated to bringing awareness to prostate health issues have teamed up to
 launch BPH Game Plan Starts with U, a national program to encourage
 screening for and raise awareness of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH),
 commonly known as enlarged prostate.
     BPH is a progressive but manageable condition in which the prostate
 becomes enlarged causing frequent and urgent urination, the need to urinate
 at night, weak urinary stream and the feeling of incomplete bladder
 emptying. BPH is one of the most common health problems in older men,
 affecting more than eight million men in the U.S. About half of all men
 over age 50 and as many as 90 percent of men over age 70 are affected by
 BPH.
     "As a coach, I face problems head on. So when I was diagnosed with BPH,
 I made a game plan with my doctor," explains Daly. "I hope that sharing my
 experiences can help other men to understand that BPH is a common condition
 and encourage them to work with their doctors to create a game plan of
 their own."
     Daly, famous for coaching the Detroit Pistons to consecutive NBA
 championships and for coaching the gold medal-winning basketball Dream Team
 in the 1992 Summer Olympics, has suffered from BPH for more than 20 years.
 Originally thinking the symptoms were signs of getting older, Daly
 postponed seeing his doctor until he hit his breaking point - the
 aggravation of constantly waking up during the night to use the bathroom -
 sometimes several times a night. Part of Daly's game plan includes managing
 his symptoms with UROXATRAL(R) (alfuzosin HCl 10 mg).
     "While this may be a difficult and sometimes scary subject to talk
 about, opening a dialogue with your primary care physician about your
 urinary symptoms is an important first step to effectively manage BPH,"
 said Dr. Michael J. Naslund, Professor of surgery (urology) and director of
 the Maryland Prostate Center at the University of Maryland School of
 Medicine. "It's important to note that BPH is not prostate cancer. Although
 some of the symptoms of BPH and prostate cancer are similar, having BPH
 does not seem to increase the chances of developing prostate cancer."
     Through the BPH Game Plan Starts with U initiative, Daly is traveling
 across the country to share his experience with BPH and to encourage men to
 get screened and talk to their doctors. For more information on BPH and
 local screenings with Coach Daly, visit www.talkaboutBPH.com. This Web site
 also provides tips about how to start a dialogue with your physician, as
 well as a risk assessment tool, information on BPH and treatment options.
     BPH Game Plan Starts with U is supported by sanofi-aventis.
     About Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
     BPH is defined as a progressive condition in which prostate cells grow
 more rapidly than normal and cause the prostate to become enlarged. About
 half of all men over age 50 and as many as 90 percent of men over age 70
 are affected by BPH. Symptoms of BPH vary, but the most common involve
 changes or problems with urination that disrupt a man's personal and
 professional life with interruptions on a daily basis. Symptoms of BPH
 include frequent and urgent urination, the need to urinate at night, weak
 urinary stream and feeling of incomplete bladder emptying. If left
 untreated, men could be at risk for sexual dysfunction, acute urinary
 retention, bladder infections, bladder stones, and even kidney damage.
     About PCEC:
     The Prostate Cancer Education Council (PCEC) was founded in 1989, and
 is a non-profit 501-3c organization. The Council is comprised of a
 consortium of leading physicians, health educators, scientists and prostate
 health advocates. PCEC's mission is to save lives through awareness and the
 education of men, the women in their lives as well as the medical community
 about the prevalence of prostate conditions, the importance of early
 diagnosis, available treatment options and other men's health issues.
     About UROXATRAL
     UROXATRAL (alfuzosin HCl), is indicated for the treatment of the signs
 and symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). UROXATRAL, a selective
 alpha1-blocker (alpha1 receptor subtype), works by relieving symptoms of
 urinary obstruction by relaxing the tone of the smooth muscle surrounding
 the prostate gland, bladder neck and prostatic urethra.
     Important Safety Information
     Do not take UROXATRAL if you have liver problems or if you are taking
 the antifungal drugs like ketoconazole or itraconazole, or HIV drugs like
 ritonavir.
     UROXATRAL can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure especially when
 starting treatment. This may lead to fainting, dizziness, and
 lightheadedness. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do any dangerous
 activity until you know how UROXATRAL will affect you. This is especially
 important if you already have a problem with low blood pressure or take
 medicines to treat high blood pressure.
     Before taking UROXATRAL, tell your doctor if you have kidney problems.
     Also tell your doctor if you or any family member(s) have or take
 medications for, a rare heart condition known as congenital prolongation of
 the QT interval.
     BPH and prostate cancer can cause the same symptoms. However UROXATRAL
 is not a treatment for prostate cancer.
     The most common side effects with UROXATRAL are dizziness, upper
 respiratory tract infection, headache and tiredness.
     Please see accompanying full prescribing information. Please see
 www.uroxatral.com for additional product information.
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 therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, thrombosis, oncology, metabolic
 diseases, central nervous system, internal medicine and vaccines.
 Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (
 SNY).
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 noelle.boyd@sanofi-aventis.com
     US.ALF.07.04.048
 
 

SOURCE sanofi-aventis