They approve the drug that they would like to see in the Snow Society.

Main characters Snow Society They suffered all sorts of injuries, from injuries sustained in accidents to severe dehydration that even caused them to have black urine. But no doubt they also had to deal with the effects of the freeze. You don’t have to get lost in the Andes to experience these effects. In fact, it is estimated that in countries such as Finland1.1% of the population experience consequences severe frostbite. In the most serious cases this may even be necessary. amputate limbs. For this reason, scientists have long sought to find antifreeze drug. And it seems that they have finally found it.

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA in English) has finally given the green light to market one of these drugs. Called Iloprost and its greatest feature is that it was not originally developed as a cure for frostbite.

Its original purpose was to treat pulmonary hypertension. Interestingly, this was also the purpose of Viagra, which was ultimately used for completely different symptoms. That’s what medicine has. Sometimes medications have a completely different purpose than originally intended. And there is something very good about this. Iloprost managed to sell very quickly since the procedures for this began, since safety research in patients they were more than complete. It was tested for hypertension, so it was known to be safe. All that remained was to test whether it was effective as a treatment for frostbite, and clinical trials concluded that it was.

What happens when we are exposed to very cold temperatures?

If we go on holiday in the snow, in principle nothing will happen to us, as long as we are warm enough. However, people who constantly live or work in places with very low temperatures are much more likely to experience the disease. freezing. Especially if they are dressed inappropriately.

This is due to our body’s natural defense mechanism against cold. There are actually several processes going on that help warm the body. For example, the brain sends a signal to muscles to contract and relax very quickly, generating heat. This is typical shiver something we’ve all experienced at some point when the temperature drops.

But there’s something else. Just as at high temperatures blood vessels dilate to help dissipate heat, when it is cold they shrink to save it. In addition, it reduces blood flow to the extremities, concentrating it in the central organs of the body. All this is necessary because if the temperature of the internal organs dropped significantly, they would not be able to function normally. But there are two problems. On the one hand, vasoconstriction. promotes the formation of blood clots. And on the other hand, if this effect persists for a long time, the lack of blood flow to the limbs can lead to gangrene, which may even lead to the need for amputation.

First you notice a tingling sensation, then your limbs begin to turn white. And then gradually sensitivity is lost and blisters form. At the moment the situation is already very serious. Perhaps many of the real heroes Snow Society they would have undergone something similar, although amputation was not necessary. What is clear is that antifreeze drug.

How does the new frostbite medicine work?

Iloprost, a new drug against frostbite. acts as a vasodilator. This means that it dilates the blood vessels, minimizing the effects of this dangerous contraction. This may also have some risk initially, as if the non-aqueous areas receive a lot of blood at once, they may be further damaged by something known as reperfusion injury. The reason is that this blood is also oxygenated, so severe cellular oxidation can occur with the damage this entails in already weakened tissues.

But it turns out that Iloprost is not just a vasodilator. It also has great strength antioxidant. Thus, it minimizes the risks of freezing from two different sides.

Before being submitted to the FDA, this antifreeze underwent clinical trials involving 47 patients. They were divided into two groups: half received iloprost and the rest received placebo. It was clear that 60% of patients in the placebo group suffered injuries that may require amputation. On the other hand, among those who received the drug there was no one with such serious injuries.

It is clear that there are few patients. However, given the safety of the drug and the lack of anything better, the FDA did not hesitate to approve it. At least in the United States, this antifreeze is now a reality for people suffering from exposure to extremely cold temperatures. Now it remains to be seen whether other health authorities will follow the same line.