Erectile Dysfunction Linked To Multiple Medication Use, According To New Study

 Erectile Dysfunction Linked To Multiple Medication Use, According To New Study

Erectile dysfunction was linked to multidrug therapy, according to a study published in the online British Journal Of Urology International.

The study was conducted on a group of 37,712 men from Southern California and concluded that more severe erectile dysfunction cases were diagnosed in men on various multidrug therapies.

The followed therapies and drug use information (one year period between 2002 -2003) were obtained from the records of diverse pharmacies. From the 37,712 men surveyed, 20 percent were diagnosed with moderate or severe erectile dysfunction. Besides multiple drug use,  erectile dysfunction was also correlated with advanced age, high cholesterol levels, obesity, high glucose levels, hypertension depression and smoking habits.

The study results indicate that current patient therapies and possible side effects should be reviewed also taking erectile dysfunction into account. When appropriate, changing the drugs or dose should be also considered by the attending physician.

Erectile dysfunction prevalence increased in all age groups with the number of drugs used.

• 0 “ 2 drugs used                16,126 men                      15.9% men with moderate erectile dysfunction
• 3 – 5  drugs used                10,046 men                     19.7%  men with moderate erectile dysfunction
• 6 – 9  drugs used                 6,870 men                       25.5%  men with moderate erectile dysfunction
• >10   drugs used                  4,670 men                       30.9% men with moderate erectile dysfunction

Multidrug Therapy

Erectile dysfunction association was more common in antihypertensive medication use, medication which can interfere with testosterone pathways and psychogenic medication. More than 57 per cent of men that were included in the study were taking more than 3 medications. Multidrug therapy was more common in older men (53 per cent of men aged 50-59 years were on three or more drugs). About 73 per cent of men had a body mass index greater than 35 kg/m2 and also used more than three medications, 25 per cent of the men surveyed used ten or more than ten medications.

Researchers found that 57 percent of men in the study took more than three medications. Use of multiple medications was the greatest among older age groups, with 53 percent of men ages 50 to 59 years taking at least three medications and 66 percent men ages 60 to 70 taking at least three medications. Seventy-three percent of the men who used more than three medications had a BMI greater than 35 kg/m2 (obese). Twenty-five percent of the men used at least 10 medications.

Erectile dysfunction is a condition that affects more and more men in the US and around the word. About 35 per cent of men aged over 60 suffer from one form or another of erectile dysfunction.