Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Prove Effective, Safe for Men With Diabetes
January 24, 2007
Health Behavior News Service January 24, 2007
- The introduction of the medications known
as phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors
to the market has changed the way physicians
manage their patients with erectile dysfunction.
The drugs have been shown to be quite effective
in treating the condition in the general population
and the number of men requesting them has soared
in recent years.
To aim of the systematic review, however,
was to determine whether PDE-5 inhibitors such
as sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra)
and tadalafil (Cialis)
are also a safe and effective option for men
with diabetes. Although diabetes can causes
a variety of other chronic complications, such
as heart disease and high blood pressure, PDE-5
inhibitors were shown not to cause many adverse
reactions in this group.
At the end of the studies, men who took PDE-5
inhibitors showed improvements on all measures
of erectile function, with an average difference
of 26.7 percent more “successful intercourse
attempts” compared to placebo groups.
Erectile dysfunction is defined as the repeated
inability to get or maintain an erection firm
enough for sexual
intercourse. According to the National Institute
of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases,
men who have diabetes are three times more likely
to have erectile dysfunction than men who do
not have diabetes.
Taken an hour before sexual activity, PDE-5
inhibitors work by enhancing the effects of
nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes smooth
muscles in the penis during sexual stimulation
and allows increased blood flow.
“PDE-5 inhibitors have been considered
the mainstay of treatment for erectile dysfunction
in the general population for many years,”
said Vardi. “Diabetics are prone to this
complication, and the etiology of their erectile
dysfunction is multifactorial, thus making their
treatment a special challenge for physicians
and other health care professionals.”
No deaths were reported in any of the included
trials; the most common side effects for men
in the treatment groups were headache, flushing
and upper respiratory tract complaints and flu-like
symptoms. The overall risk for developing any
adverse reaction was 4.8 times higher in the
PDE-5 group than in the control group
As with any drug therapy, the Cochrane reviewers
caution that men should use PDE-5 inhibitors
only as directed by their physicians.
“I prescribe PDE-5 inhibitors every day
to people with diabetes,” said John Buse,
M.D., director of the Diabetes Care Center at
the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
“But whether they are safe [in the long
term] is the essential quandary of all medical
care. We make our best guesses based on imperfect
information, hopes and fears. And then we monitor
progress. I am impressed that patients with
diabetes in my practice in 2006 are
Source:
http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/
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