Drug dysfunction erectile medication daily news.

Sept. 26, 2002 — That little pill that has helped millions of men reclaim their sex lives may also work for some women.

Women with arousal problems who took Viagra in a study funded by the drug’s manufacturer achieved sexual satisfaction more often than those who took placebo pills. But further research is needed to prove that the impotence pill has a role in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction, experts say.

Viagra works in men with erectile dysfunction by increasing blood flow to the penis. It is not clear whether inadequate blood flow plays a role in some female sexual problems, but researchers say the results of this study suggest that it does. The findings were presented this week at the 10th World Congress of the International Society for Sexual and Impotence Research in Montreal.

Roughly 42% of the women taking Viagra reported increased satisfaction during foreplay and sexual intercourse, compared with 28% of women taking the placebo. Likewise, 57% of the Viagra-treated women reported improved sensation in the genital area during sex, compared with 44% of women taking the placebo. Side effects of treatment with Viagra were considered mild to moderate and included headaches, flushing, runny nose, and nausea.

Viagra seemed to work best in women with sexual arousal problems who had previously satisfying sex lives. It was less effective in those who had both arousal problems and problems with sexual desire.

“Viagra doesn’t really increase desire in men, so there is little reason to believe it would do so in women,” says sexual dysfunction exert Marian Dunn, PhD. “This study shows that a subgroup of women might benefit from Viagra. A woman with normal hormone levels who is in a good relationship and used to enjoy sex but no longer does might be a good candidate.”

Dunn, who is director of the Center for Human Sexuality at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York, tells WebMD that female sexual dysfunction is only now beginning to get the attention it deserves.

“We don’t really have much to offer women,” she says. “I’m a sex therapist, and I know that many women are helped by therapy, but many others either don’t have access or would not be open to it. There are a lot of women out there who are suffering, and many might find this treatment to be effective.”

But psychologist Leonore Tiefer says sexual problems tend to be more complex in women than in men and probably will not be as easy to treat with drugs. An outspoken critic of drug industry-sponsored research into female sexual dysfunction, Tiefer warns of what she calls the medicalization of sex problems in women.

“In the study, 44% of the women taking placebos had improved genital [sensation],” she says. “That sounds high, but it is standard for the placebo arm of Viagra studies. Once you take a pill, no matter what it is, you make love in a different way and there may be a benefit. The problem is that you shouldn’t take medicine unless you need it, and this drug has side effects.”

Viagra is not approved in the U.S. for use in women. A spokesperson for manufacturer Pfizer Inc. tells WebMD that the decision about whether to seek such approval will be made when larger clinical studies are completed. –> (more̷

Nov. 2, 2000 — Say “erectile dysfunction” these days,
and the response is likely to be “Viagra.” Such is the power of
advertising. But there was a time, not that long ago, when psychotherapy was
the mainstay of treatment for what was then known as “impotence.” Has
it become outdated or irrelevant?

It shouldn’t be, say the New England Research Institutes. In a
study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the Watertown,
Mass.-based organization analyzed nearly 800 men of whom more than 160 had
erectile dysfunction, and found that men who are submissive are much more
likely to develop erectile dysfunction than those who are not — and that
problem can’t be cured by the little blue pill.

Regardless, psychologists say they are feeling the pinch of the
Viagra revolution. “There’s a very significant drop in the number of men
who come into a therapist now for ED [erectile dysfunction],” says Paul
Tobias, PhD, a psychologist in private practice in Santa Monica, Calif.
“Their primary response is to see an internist and get Viagra prescribed –
or not prescribed. As a psychologist, this [seems like] you deal with the
symptom, not the cause. It’s very easy to use a Band-Aid — but quite often it
doesn’t take care of the root cause.”

But even Tobias admits that Viagra can sometimes be the answer
even when a psychological problem is the primary cause of a failed erection.
Take the case of a man with performance anxiety — perhaps the most common
psychological cause of erectile dysfunction. If you increase performance by
prescribing Viagra, then the anxiety part of the equation disappears.

But, Tobias says, Viagra is not a fix-all — perhaps especially
when the problems involve younger men. “Younger couples need to work with
someone because the issues are quite often buried — issues of power,
dominance, virility. Often ED is just a symptom of a conflict that exists
between a couple.”

Psychologist Warren Edwards, PhD, remembers the days when
erectile difficulties were thought to be connected to males’ too-early viewing
of a vagina. “In the early 1960s, we talked seriously about that stuff. Now
we’re more recognizing that things have changed — and we’re once again going
back to the idea there’s some organic component in most men’s erectile
dysfunction.”

Edwards, a staff therapist with the Mercy Hospital in Des
Moines, Iowa, points out that the reverse scenario also is true in many cases
– where otherwise psychologically healthy men develop erectile dysfunction for
physical reasons, and then develop psychological problems. “I’ve
worked a lot with men in their middle years, and typically they would have some
organic contribution. Maybe they were overweight or had a pain in their
back.” Sex was uncomfortable for these men, he says, so they would resort
to trying to get it over with quickly. That would lead to problems. “If
you’re 60 years old and trying to have sex in a hurry, you’re probably going to
fail.”

Edwards says it’s not new that men with erection problems
consult their medical doctors first. “They always did go to the medical
doctors. Psychotherapists weren’t their first choice. It was in the hope there
was something their doctors could give them. And now there is.” But, he
says, many older couples he’s seen have found a simpler, less expensive (and
safer) solution: a good lubricant.

Tobias suggests that while there may be value in Viagra, the
ads for the drug encourage indiscriminate use: “The ads themselves lead to
tremendous expectations, and Viagra may not even be the answer.” He says:
“No matter how many caveats you put in the ads, all the man hears is the
opening statement: ‘Here’s the solution to your problem.’” Maybe that’s
true, Tobias says — and maybe not. (more̷

The TV commercials make it all seem so simple: He can’t get an erection so
he pops a pill. The next thing you know, his partner is cooing about how her
guy is back to his old wild and romantic self.

What the commercials don’t show you: The painful distress a woman can
experience when her man suffers with erectile dysfunction (ED).

“Women internalize things — they tend to blame themselves first,
thinking it’s because they have done something wrong, or that they are no
longer attractive to their partner. In fact, the first thing a woman thinks
when a man can’t get an erection is that it’s her fault, and nothing could be
further from the truth,” says Andrew McCullough, MD, director of sexual
health and male infertility at NYU Medical Center in New York City.

ED, or erectile dysfunction, is medically defined as the inability to
achieve or sustain an erection long enough for sexual intercourse. Virtually
all men experience some erection failures at certain points in their lives. It
can be the result of stress, depression, or sometimes even for no reason at
all. For some, the problem becomes chronic. When it does, a diagnosis of ED is
made. According to the American Foundation for Urologic Disease, it’s a problem
that affects about 18 million men in the U.S. alone.

Although many women — and men as well — continue to view ED as a sexual
issue, in truth, the most common causes are undiagnosed physical conditions
such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or even the earliest stages of heart
disease. Even more often, it can be the result of certain medications used to
treat these conditions, particularly some high blood pressure drugs.

Unfortunately, experts say a lack of education about the causes of ED are
frequently behind a woman’s self-blame, as well as her increasing anxiety, and
sometimes, even feelings of hurt and anger when the problem occurs.

“Most women usually start with a line of questioning that often has some
anxiety or hurt to it. She may suspect her partner is having an affair, or that
he just doesn’t find her desirable anymore, so she begins to hint around at
these possibilities,” says Sallie Foley, MSW, a professor at the graduate
school of social work at the University of Michigan and co-author of Sex
Matters For Women.

Often, says Foley, a man suffering with ED will interpret her questions –
and her hurtful attitude — as an attack on him, so he pulls back.

“She then experiences this pulling back as a confirmation that she
has done something wrong, and so she retreats even further,” says
Foley. As she does, increasing levels of anxiety or depression can set in,
along with suspicions about what’s going on with him, as well as a continued
belief that there is something wrong with her.

The end result: The couple can stop communicating altogether — not only in
the bedroom, but in all aspects of their relationship. And that, say experts,
can only make problems worse for both partners.

“The one thing a woman should never do is withdraw because that is a
formula for relationship disaster,” says McCullough. When one partner pulls
away, he says, the other withdraws as well, and “this kind of dance goes on
where you stop touching each other, then you stop talking, and before you know
it you are not communicating at all.” (more̷

Oct. 21, 2003 (Salt Lake City) — With prostate cancer treatment success often comes at a heavy price: erectile dysfunction. But, a new study shows that Viagra will work in nearly 70% of the men who have radiation-associated erectile dysfunction for years to come.

Michael Zelefsky, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, N.Y., tells WebMD that the radiation-associated erectile dysfunction usually “begins about six months after [they] have concluded therapy, but it can occur at any time during or after treatment.” He says that he has already reported that “about 70% of men initially respond to Viagra. However, [they] didn’t know if the response would be durable.”

In the new study, which was presented at the 45^th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Zelefsky and his colleagues studied the “durability” of response by following 360 men with radiation-induced erectile dysfunction who initially responded to the drug. He followed the group for an average of nearly four years after their surgery to see if they were still taking Viagra for erectile dysfunction.

The results, he says, were surprising. “I didn’t really expect them to still be taking the drug and I expected that for many men the effect would diminish with time.” But after almost four years, 96% of the men who initially responded to Viagra were still taking the drug and all but six of those men said the drug was still effective.

All of the men in the study had prostate cancer that was confined to the prostate gland. They received radiation therapy by either external beam treatment or by brachytherapy, in which radioactive “seeds” implanted in the prostate deliver radiation directly to the tumor.

The external radiation is done while the patient lies in a special box that allows multiple radiation beams to be directed directly to the prostate gland from all sides, while the rest of the body is protected from the radiation.

Prostate cancer is mainly found in older men. After prostate cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to determine if it has spread outside the gland. Because there are different treatments available, determining how much the cancer has spread this will help in deciding what treatment is best for the cancer.

Surgery to remove the cancer is one option that is used to treat prostate cancer. Radiation is another therapy used in treating this cancer. Erectile dysfunction can occur in men treated with either one of these treatments.

Zelefsky says the men who reported that Viagra stopped working were those who were treated with extremely high-dose external radiation.

Richard Valicenti, MD, associate professor radiation oncology, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, in Philadelphia, tells WebMD that the study is “important since it shows that treatment with [Viagra] can deliver a durable response.” But Valicenti, who wasn’t involved in the study, says that he, too, is a little surprised by the results, especially because of the fairly large range in the length of treatment and because drug tolerance is common.

“We don’t really know how often they are taking the drug. We know that with repeated use tolerance develops for many drugs and we expect it for this drug as well,” he says.

If tolerance does develop, the new erectile dysfunction drug, Levitra, could be an option says Zelefsky. He says his group is conducting a study with this newly approved drug but notes that it will be sometime before the results are available. Meanwhile, he says that he is trying Levitra in men who don’t initially respond to Viagra. (more̷

July 10, 2000 — In the two years since it rocketed onto the market — and
became, almost overnight, a household word — the impotence drug Viagra has
helped men with erection problems enjoy satisfying sex. The little blue pill
fired the male imagination with the notion of an enduring and youthful virility
that could last into the golden years.

But truth is, Viagra is not the sexual cure-all that many men who have
problems with erectile dysfunction believed it to be. As many as two in five
men who try the drug don’t get the desired results. And at least 39 Viagra
users have died, mostly men who were also taking other drugs, or who had
serious heart disease (see the November-December 1998 issue of Clinical
Therapeutics).

No wonder that early reports of another, perhaps better, drug were so
tantalizing — both to the media and to men who got no satisfaction from
Viagra. The very name of the new drug — Uprima — conjured up images of
supremacy and conquest.

Then, last week, came the news that threw a splash of cold water on these
oh-so-fond hopes: TAP Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Uprima, unexpectedly –
perhaps temporarily — withdrew its application for approval by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA).

Why did the company pull a product that just weeks ago had been widely
expected to gain FDA approval and give Viagra a run for its money in the
billion-dollar impotence market? Experts speculate that the agency may, in
fact, have been poised to reject the drug’s application or to severely restrict
its recommended use. The reason: serious questions about the drug’s safety at
higher doses and its efficacy at lower ones.

Before submitting its application to the drug agency, TAP Pharmaceuticals
tested Uprima on more than 2,700 men in final clinical trials. The experience
of two of those men, interviewed by WebMD, offers a glimpse at the drug’s
possibilities — and drawbacks. (more̷

type 2 diabetes. You may be taking insulin by
injection or through an
insulin pump alone or along with oral diabetes
medication. Taking these medications as prescribed can help keep your blood
sugar levels within your
target range. For information on these medications,
see the Medications section of the topic
Type 2 Diabetes: Living With the Disease.

You may need to take:

• Aspirin. If you are age 30 or older, talk to
  your health professional about taking a low-dose, or baby, aspirin daily to
  prevent
  heart attack,
  stroke, or other large blood vessel disease (macrovascular disease).¹
• An angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor,
  angiotensin II receptor blocker, or other medication if you have
  high blood pressure or have protein in your urine.
  These medications can slow or prevent further damage to your
  kidneys.
• Medications for digestive problems. The type of medication
  will depend on the problem you are having. For example, if you have
  gastroparesis, you may take metoclopramide (Reglan),
  domperidone (available in Europe and Canada), or
  erythromycin.
• Nonprescription pain relievers, creams, or
  prescription oral or injection medications if you have pain from
  peripheral neuropathy.
• Viagra, Levitra, or
  Cialis if you have erection problems. These medications can aggravate heart
  problems in some people, especially those taking nitrate medications (such as
  nitroglycerin). Check with your doctor before taking any of these
  medications.

Medication Choices

Medications for some complications include: (more̷

A sexual problem, or sexual dysfunction, refers to a problem
during any phase of the
sexual response cycle that prevents the individual or couple from
experiencing satisfaction from the sexual activity. The sexual response cycle
has four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

While research suggests that sexual dysfunction is common (43%
of women and 31% of men report some degree of difficulty), it is a topic that
many people are hesitant to discuss. Fortunately, most cases of sexual
dysfunction are treatable, so it is important to share your concerns with your
partner and doctor.

What Causes Sexual Problems?

Sexual dysfunction can be a result of a physical or
psychological problem.

• Physical causes. Many physical and/or medical conditions can cause
  problems with sexual function. These conditions include diabetes, heart
  disease, neurological diseases, hormonal imbalances, menopause, chronic
  diseases such as kidney disease or liver failure, and alcoholism and drug
  abuse. In addition, the side effects of certain medications, including some
  antidepressant drugs, can affect sexual desire and function.
• Psychological causes. These include work-related stress and anxiety,
  concern about sexual performance, marital or relationship problems, depression,
  feelings of guilt, and the effects of a past sexual trauma.

Who Is Affected by Sexual Problems?

Both men and women are affected by sexual problems. Sexual problems occur in
adults of all ages. Among those commonly affected are those in the geriatric
population, which may be related to a decline in health associated with
aging.

How Do Sexual Problems Affect Women?

The most common problems related to sexual dysfunction in women
include:

• Inhibited sexual desire. This involves a lack of sexual desire or
  interest in sex. Many factors can contribute to a lack of desire, including
  hormonal changes, medical conditions and treatments (for example cancer and
  chemotherapy), depression, pregnancy, stress and fatigue. Boredom with regular
  sexual routines also may contribute to a lack of enthusiasm for sex, as can
  lifestyle factors, such as careers and the care of children.
• Inability to become aroused. For women, the inability to become
  physically aroused during sexual activity often involves insufficient vaginal
  lubrication. The inability to become aroused also may be related to anxiety or
  inadequate stimulation. In addition, researchers are investigating how blood
  flow problems affecting the vagina and clitoris may contribute to arousal
  problems.
• Lack of orgasm (anorgasmia). This is the absence of sexual climax
  (orgasm). It can be caused by sexual inhibition, inexperience, lack of
  knowledge and psychological factors such as guilt, anxiety, or a past sexual
  trauma or abuse. Other factors contributing to anorgasmia include insufficient
  stimulation, certain medications, and chronic diseases.
• Painful intercourse. Pain during intercourse can be caused by a
  number of problems, including
  endometriosis, a pelvic mass, ovarian cysts,
  vaginitis, poor lubrication, the presence of scar tissue from surgery, or a

  sexually transmitted disease. A condition called vaginismus is a painful,
  involuntary spasm of the muscles that surround the vaginal entrance. It may
  occur in women who fear that penetration will be painful and also may stem from
  a sexual phobia or from a previous traumatic or painful experience.

How Is a Female Sexual Problem Diagnosed?

The doctor likely will begin with a physical exam and a
thorough evaluation of symptoms and a physical exam. The doctor may perform a

pelvic examination to evaluate the health of the reproductive organs and a

Pap smear to detect changes in the cells of the cervix (to check for cancer
or a pre-cancerous condition). He or she may order other tests to rule out any
medical problems that may be contributing to the problem.

An evaluation of your attitude regarding sex, as well as other
possible contributing factors (fear, anxiety, past sexual trauma/abuse,
relationship problems, alcohol or drug abuse, etc.) will help the doctor
understand the underlying cause of the problem and make appropriate
recommendations for treatment. (more̷

May 26, 2005 — Rising use and abuse of the impotence drug Viagra among men who have sex with men may dramatically increase their risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV infection.

A new study shows that men who have sex with men and who use Viagra engage in unprotected sex up to six times more often than nonusers of the drug.

In addition, researchers found that Viagra is increasingly being used as a recreational drug and mixed with drugs such as methamphetamine.

Viagra is approved as a prescription drug to treat erectile dysfunction, but researchers say most of the men studied had no medical need for Viagra and obtained the drug without a doctor’s prescription from a friend or off the Internet.

Viagra Abuse Raises Risks

In the study, which appears in the current issue of the American Journal of Medicine, researchers analyzed 14 recent studies of Viagra among men who have sex with men.

Overall, the studies showed that more than 10% of men who have sex with men use Viagra. More than 40% of HIV-positive men reported using the drug.

Compared with nonusers of the drug, researchers show men who have sex with men and who use Viagra are from two to nearly six times more likely to have unprotected anal sex with a male partner of unknown HIV status.

Other findings include:

• HIV-positive men were nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with another sexually transmitted disease if they used Viagra compared with nonusers.
• Men recently diagnosed with HIV were 2.5 times more likely to use Viagra than other men who have sex with men.
• 54% of users mixed Viagra with other drugs to enhance the sexual experience, such as methamphetamines, ecstasy, and ketamine.

New Warnings Needed for Viagra?

Based on these results, researchers say the labeling for Viagra and other recently approved drugs in its class, including Cialis and Levitra, should be changed to warn users of an increased risk of STDs, including HIV infection.

Although Viagra itself does not cause these infections, researchers say the increased duration of erection, increased blood flow to the penis, and subsequent sexual activity may increase the risk of acquiring these infections from an infected partner.

In an editorial that accompanies the study, Joseph Alpert, MD, of the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, says abuse and recreational use of Viagra and other similar erectile dysfunction drugs could become a major public health problem in the U.S.

He says more research is needed to determine if the risk of STDs and unsafe sex is higher in heterosexual men who use Viagra. (more̷

May 19, 2004 (New Orleans) — New medicines — ranging from a
relative of Viagra to an arthritis drug — target the haywire immune responses
that underlie inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Inflammatory bowel disease is the umbrella term for a number of
conditions that cause inflammation of the bowel. The two most common ones are
ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Both of these conditions occur when the
immune system goes awry and attacks the lining of the colon. The disorders take
a toll on their victims - affecting more than 1 million in the U.S. alone –
causing belly aches, diarrhea, and other symptoms that are often severe enough
to interfere with daily activities, says James B. Lewis, MD, associate director
of the inflammatory disease program at the University of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia.

“We’re seeing many different approaches to treat this
inflammation,” says Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, professor of medicine and
clinical pharmacology at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.
“For example, [corticosteroids] already used to treat IBD, are effective
anti-inflammatory agents but they affect all tissues, causing many side
effects.”

Many of the new drugs, on the other hand, selectively target
the defects associated with IBD — an approach that promises better results
with fewer side effects, he tells WebMD.

There were a number of new approaches discussed here at
Digestive Disease Week, a major medical meeting of gastroenterologists.

Arthritis Medication Combats Crohn’s, too

The rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira helped patients with
moderate Crohn’s disease to go into remission, Hanauer says.

A man-made biological substance called a monoclonal antibody,
Humira works by blocking an inflammation-causing protein called tumor necrosis
factor alpha, or TNF-alpha, that has been implicated in both rheumatoid
arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

In a study of nearly 300 patients who did not improve despite
treatment with standard medications, 30% of those given higher doses of Humira
were in remission by four weeks later, compared with only 12% on placebo,
Hanauer reports.

Humira is an injectable drug and was extremely well tolerated,
he says.

New Immune System Drug Antibody Prevents Crohn’s Flare-Ups

In another new study, the drug Antegren helped prevent
flare-ups associated with Crohn’s disease in people who were in remission,
reports Brian G. Feagan, MD, professor of medicine in the department of
epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Western Ontario in
London.

The drug has already been shown to induce remission in Crohn’s
sufferers.

Antegren works by keeping immune system cells from leaving the
bloodstream. In Crohn’s patients, this appears to prevent the immune system
attack on the gut that occurs with the disease, Feagan says. “If we can
prevent that, white blood cells would stay in the circulation where they
belong.”

The researchers studied 339 adults with Crohn’s disease who had
improved or gone into remission after receiving three infusions of Antegren.
The patients were randomly assigned to continue to receive Antegren for up to
12 additional monthly infusions, or to placebo.

Six months later, 44% of patients given Antegren were still in
remission, compared with 26% on placebo, Feagan says. Also, 61% of those taking
the drug continued to show an improvement in symptoms, compared with 29% on
placebo.

People who took Antegren were no more likely to suffer side
effects than those on placebo, he explains. (more̷

Sept. 25, 2001 — We’ve all heard and laughed at Viagra jokes. Poking fun at “the little blue pill” is a favorite of late-night talk show hosts and regular folks alike. But for men with erectile dysfunction and their partners, the hope Viagra offers — of restoring a healthy sex life — is no laughing matter.

There have, however, been worrisome reports of health risks linked to the drug. Now Italian researchers say that taking Viagra can be deadly if users also have chronic heart failure, a condition where the heart is unable to pump healthy amounts of blood through the body.

Their new study, led by Gianfranco Picirillo, MD, of Medical Policlinic Umberto I in Rome, looked at the heart rhythms of 10 healthy men and 10 others with chronic heart failure after they took a standard dose of Viagra. While both groups experienced certain changes to their heart’s normal electrical activity, those changes were more pronounced and were potentially more dangerous in the men with heart failure.

The scientists conclude that for men with heart failure, taking Viagra may result in abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, that could lead to sudden death. The risk is even more pronounced, they theorize, for patients who also take certain other drugs including certain antibiotics, antihistamines, antifungals, and cholesterol medications.

But other heart experts are not convinced there’s anything to worry about.

“What we know about Viagra is clear,” says Gary S. Francis, MD, director of the coronary intensive care unit at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. “Physicians are well aware of it. The drug should not be taken with nitrates [nitroglycerin] because there’s a risk of sudden, dangerously low blood pressure,” he says. There has been no evidence, however, that heart failure patients in general should avoid Viagra, he tells WebMD.

Rony Shimony, MD, FACC, says that people with heart failure who have a weak heart and irregular heartbeats automatically have a higher death rate than healthy people.

“You’re already in a higher risk group,” says the attending cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital and at Cornell Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, in New York City. He says that these sudden deaths can’t necessarily be linked to Viagra and that the study “is not a reason to panic. Heart failure patients are at higher risk to start with,” he tells WebMD.

What’s more, says Shimony, “cardiac patients are clearly at increased risk from doing any form of exercise or taking any form of medication. You have to use common sense.” No doctor would prescribe Viagra to a very ill patient, he tells WebMD, but if you’re appropriately screened by your heart doctor, even if you have well-controlled heart failure, all evidence indicates that you will not drop dead.

According to Shimony, “the overall experience of the medical community has been that Viagra is a very safe drug” without long-term side effects. But because it is used only to enhance the quality of life, rather than prolong it, “when a doctor prescribes Viagra and something bad happens, that’s when the drug comes under great scrutiny.”

Francis does not completely dismiss the notion that something may be going on here, but significantly more work is needed to determine if the findings are important or not. Results from any test conducted on only 10 people “don’t mean a whole lot,” he says, but this one small study suggests is “that the use of Viagra in patients with heart failure has the potential to alter the electrical stability of the heart.” And that change, he says, “may predispose them to arrhythmias, some of which may be fatal.” (more̷