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April 9, 2014
Statins Show Promise in Improving Erectile Dysfunction
Newark, NJ—Here’s a way to sell men on improving their adherence to statin therapy: The drugs are associated with a significant improvement in erectile function. In fact, a new report notes that the increase in erectile function scores with statins is about one-third to one-half of what has been reported with drugs like Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra, without the expense or side effects of targeted erectile dysfunction therapy. The study, led by researchers at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was presented recently at the American College of Cardiology’s 63rd Annual Scientific Session in Washington, D.C. Background in the presentation cited previous research suggesting a negative association between statins and testosterone levels, which raised questions about the effects of the widely used therapy on the quality of erections. For the meta-analysis, researchers reviewed 11 randomized, controlled trials that measured erectile function using the International Inventory of Erectile Function (IIEF)—a self-administered survey with five scored questions, with lower values representing poorer sexual function. A statistically significant—and somewhat surprising—effect of statins was found on erectile function in men who had both high cholesterol and erectile dysfunction: Erectile function scores increased by 3.4 points in men who took statins, a 24.3% improvement. Metaregression showed an increase in benefit with decreasing lipophilicity, according to the results. Furthermore, the average age of participants and the degree of LDL cholesterol lowering did not alter the effect on IIEF. The benefit from statins “was larger than the reported effect of lifestyle modification,” said lead author John B. Kostis, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Institute and associate dean for Cardiovascular Research at Rutgers. “For men with erectile dysfunction who need statins to control cholesterol, this may be an extra benefit.” The researchers theorize that statins may work to improve erectile function by helping blood vessels dilate properly, which improves vascular blood flow to the penis. Statins are not recommended as a primary treatment for erectile dysfunction in patients with healthy cholesterol levels, but the added benefit could encourage more men who need statins to take them, the authors suggested. Kostis pointed out that, while millions of Americans are prescribed statins to prevent heart disease, some stop taking the medication or take less than the prescribed dose. The more immediate benefit of improving erectile function might be a better incentive to improve adherence to statin therapy than the possibility of preventing a heart attack in the future, he added. He called for larger randomized controlled trials on the link between statin therapy and erectile function. The study he presented was simultaneously published online in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
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U.S. Pharmacist Social Connect
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