Men's Health |
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Viagra May Be Safe for Men With Heart FailureViagra® (sildenafil citrate) can apparently do a lot more than reinvigorate a man's flagging sex life. A new study shows the little blue pills can also restore some pep to his step when heart disease is weighing him down. Added Benefits of ViagraNot only is Viagra safe for men with congestive heart failure (CHF), it improves their ability to exercise, says research from Brazilian scientists. In the process, it may increase compliance with heart failure drugs, improving prognosis and generally improving quality of life. "Frequently, CHF patients, and especially their wives, are afraid their spouses will have heart failure symptoms or even death during sexual activity," study co-author Dr. Edimar Bocchi, a heart specialist at Sao Paulo University Medical School, says in a statement. "Our study shows that the benefits may outweigh harmful side effects of treatment with sildenafil. The successful treatment of [erectile dysfunction] in CHF could not only improve sexual relationships, but overall quality and success of CHF treatment." A report on the finding appeared recently in the online issue of Circulation, Journal of the American Heart Association. Not Out of the Woods YetAlthough Viagra, sold by Pfizer Inc., was initially blasted by reports that it caused heart trouble in men who used it, recent research has not borne out such a link for the average person. However, in some men, such as those with diseased arteries or heart failure, physicians have seen some signs for concern. So, experts say the Brazilian study is reassuring. Between 60 percent and 70 percent of men with congestive heart failure also experience erectile dysfunction. Many believe the drugs they take to control their heart condition are at the root of their impotence, sapping their willingness to take the medication. In the new study, Bocchi and his colleagues sought to learn if Viagra is safe for these patients. They followed 23 (small sample size noted) men, whose average age was 50, most of whom had mild to moderate congestive heart failure, as well as erection struggles, that had lasted at least four months before the start of the trial. Bocchi and his colleagues first gave the men a single, 50 milligram dose of Viagra, and had them undergo a battery of cardiovascular tests. These included a six-minute walk, a gauge of maximum exertion, blood pressure readings, and other measures. In the second phase, the men were sent home with prescriptions for Viagra and told to take it as directed for sexual performance. Compared with a placebo, Viagra improved exercise function and capacity, prolonging the time the men could work out by about 1.5 minutes, on average. It also reduced the increase in their exercising heartbeat, and lowered their resting heart rate and blood pressure. Viagra worked as advertised in the bedroom, too, reducing impotence and improving sexual satisfaction. The drug did lead to a few mild side effects during the study's stress testing phase, such as leg fatigue, headache, nausea, and unwanted erections. However, these reactions were much less frequent in the next stage, and Bocchi's group says the drug was generally well-tolerated. "For people worried about the use of sildenafil in high-risk cardiac conditions such as heart failure, the improvement in exercise capacity and other [measures], which were unexpected for most doctors in the first phase, was a marker that sildenafil is not dangerous for heart failure, and on the contrary may improve heart failure," Bocchi says. Giving Viagra to these men as part of a stress test may be a feasible tool to help physicians prescribe the drug, he adds. Treatment for congestive heart failure and for erectile dysfunction will be determined by your physician based on:
Always consult your physician for more information. More Information Regarding ViagraViagra is a medication made by Pfizer Inc., and is the first approved non-surgical treatment for erectile dysfunction that does not have to be either injected or inserted directly into the penis to achieve and maintain erection. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prescription sale at the end of March, 1998. Viagra does not directly cause penile erection, but affects the response to sexual stimulation. The FDA recommends that men follow these general precautions before taking Viagra:
Always consult your physician for more information. |
September 2002More Information Regarding Viagra Viagra May Face Tough Competition Viagra May Face Tough CompetitionLook out, Viagra—a new all-nighter impotence drug being developed by Eli Lilly and Co. and Icos Corp. stands to make Viagra's effects look like a mere toss in the hay, reports the Associated Press (AP). In research presented in May 2002 at the American Urological Association conference in Orlando, Fla., the new drug, called Cialis, allowed patients to achieve erections that lasted anywhere from 24 to 36 hours. The research did not compare Cialis to Viagra, but previous research has indicated that the duration of the Pfizer-made drug was usually in the eight-to-12 hour range, researchers on the Cialis study told the AP. According to the researchers, Cialis may last longer because of a difference in the rate at which it is active in the bloodstream and eliminated from the body. The drug's makers hope to obtain US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Cialis sometime next year. Always consult your physician for more information. Online Resources(Our Organization is not responsible for the content of Internet sites.) American Urological Association |