Viagra
OK, we know that men, who are the ones most affected by erectile dysfunction (ED), don’t like to talk about it, but sometimes you just have to. ED (which used to be known as impotence) is a common problem: around half of all men aged between 40 and 70 will experience it at least once.
Research carried out by Professor Mike Kirby, a visiting professor at the University of Hertfordshire, has found that less than 30 percent of affected men ask for help with this symptom, which implies that the majority are not getting treatment.
That is even more of a problem than you might think. It leaves the men with an obvious difficulty, which if it continues, may lead to depression. But it also means that they aren’t finding out the cause of their ED. And that can put their lives at risk.
While ED can be caused by a range of factors, including psychological problems, one of the main causes is atherosclerosis or furring up of the arteries. And that can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease and stroke.
In their study, published in The Journal for Sexual Medicine, Professor Kirby and his team looked at 11,889 men throughout Europe. Their aim was to find out how the men got supplies of PDE5is, the group of drugs used to treat ED and more commonly known by their brand names: Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.
They found that three out of 10 men who use this type of drug bought it through unregulated Internet sites. "Our research indicates that in Europe approximately six million men may be currently bypassing the healthcare system to obtain a PDE5i," said Professor Kirby.
"They not only expose themselves to the risks of using unapproved and uncontrolled products, but also miss important information on product use and contraindications. Furthermore, they miss the opportunity to receive appropriate health information regarding the importance of medical follow-up for unrecognised cardiovascular disease often seen in combination with ED."
Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation agrees that buying your own medication on-line is unwise. "There are potential risks with any drug you take. And sometimes these drugs are fake. At best they may not work. At worst, they may be quite dangerous," she said. You may also run the danger of mixing your online drug with a prescription drug, with serious consequences. Medication for ED shouldn’t be taken with drugs containing organic nitrates (prescribed for chronic angina) as this can be very dangerous for your heart.
"ED is often to do with having a furring-up of the arteries – atherosclerosis. The main places where this happens is in the small arteries in the heart, brain (which puts you at increased risk of stroke) and penis. If you aren’t going to your GP, you aren’t being checked for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, all of which are health risks."
If ED isn’t just happening once in a while, when you’re stressed, for instance, or have been drinking, you should see your GP. They will be able to check your health and should be able to find the cause and can prescribe drugs to combat ED, even for people with heart problems.
First published 22 July 2010
Useful websites
British Heart Foundation - www.bhf.org.uk
Sexual Advice Association - www.sda.uk.net
The Stroke Association - www.stroke.org.uk