Oral drug effectively improves premature ejaculation
Investigational agent increases ejaculatory latency time by 1.5 minutes over baseline
The serotonin transport inhibitor dapoxetine appeals to be a well-tolerated and effective agent for the treatment of premature ejaculation, according to the results of a phase II study presented at the International Society for Sexual and Impotence Research world congress.
Researchers say the drug, which is still investigational, may offer a safer, more tolerable altemative to the Dr. Hellstrom selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) currently used to treat this common sexual condition.
Tadalafil improves symptoms associated with BPH
Findings from a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study are consistent with previously reported data showing that tadalafil (Cialis) improves lower urinary tract symptoms associated with BPH. However, the benefit cannot be explained by effects on pressure-flow urodynamics, researchers reported at the European Association of Urology annual congress.
The prospective study randomized 200 men to treatment with tadalafil, 20 mg, or placebo once daily for 12 weeks. At baseline and study completion, patients underwent urodynamics studies and completed International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaires.
Viagra and erections: Do the benefits persist?
When Viagra (sildenafil) burst on the scene in 1998, it was a revolutionary development. Within months, it became clear that the drug could help about 70% of men with erectile dysfunction. Within a year, the medication had established an enviable safety record, even for men with stable heart disease (though it should never be used by men taking nitrates in any form or by men with unstable cardiovascular problems).
These early observations have held up, but as Viagra has settled into the mainstream, doctors are starting to ask how it affects men who have used it for several years.
Choice of ED Rx now a matter of patient preference
…But open discussions of sexual dysfunction have led to ‘hucksterism’ and false claims
Phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of erectile dysfunction and have proven to have both important clinical and social effects. They have moved discussions of sexual dysfunction from the closet to the examination room, not to mention the television set, where the topic is openly discussed in commercials and on talk shows.
“These new medications have really lessened the taboo that once surrounded the subject. The trends [in ED treatment] are more open discussion and less hesitation by family doctors to discuss this,” said John J. Mulcahy, MD, professor of urology at Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis.
Several studies introduced at the annual meeting of the European Association of Urology congress in Vienna last month compared the efficacy of sildenafil citrate (Viagra) with that of two new PDE-5 inhibitors — tadalafil (Cialis) and vardenafil (Levitra).