Men with diabetes can benefit from erectile dysfunction drugs

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Drugs that treat erectile dysfunction are both safe and effective for men with diabetes, according to a new study.
Men with diabetes are three times more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction than the rest of the population. Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to get or maintain an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. It can be treated by drugs like Viagra, Levitra and Cialis which increase blood flow to the penis. However, there has been some debate over whether these drugs are really safe for those with diabetes, who are at risk of complications like heart disease.

A new review from the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization looking at the effectiveness of medical treatments, looks at the use of erectile dysfunction drugs among men with diabetes. The review encompasses eight studies with 1,759 men with either type I or type 2 diabetes. Around half were taking an erectile dysfunction drug and the rest a placebo.

The men on medication showed improvements on all measures of erectile functioning, and an average improvement of 26.7 per cent in successful intercourse attempts. They did report side effects such as headache, flushing and flu-like symptoms. The overall rate of adverse effects was nearly five times in the medication group compared with the placebo group. Therefore, erectile dysfunction drugs should be prescribed only on an 'as needed' basis. But it appears they are generally safe and effective for men with diabetes and so can contribute to their quality of life.

Source
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007 Issue 1

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