ePillz.com - ED Drugs Are Safe for Men with Diabetes

ED Drugs Are Safe for Men with Diabetes

January 2007 - The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews –

Popular drugs against erectile dysfunction – Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis – are safe and effective, when used by men with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, says the recent review of the available clinical trials data, authored by Vardi M., Nini A. and published in the year 2007 first issue of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international non-for-profit and independent institution, specializing in producing systemic reviews of the health-related medical trials and spreading them through its database.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is considered to be one of the complications of diabetes mellitus. Nowadays ED can be managed effectively and safely with the group of oral medications, called PDE-5 inhibitors. The ED pills - Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis - became extremely popular throughout the world in the latest few years. In the recent review the experts from the Cochrane Collaboration aimed at evaluating the effects of using PDE-5 inhibitors in diabetic men.

The reviewers analyzed data from eight clinical studies, in which the influence of PDE-5 inhibitors on the human organism was compared to the influence of placebo. In general 1 759 men were recruited for those trials and 976 of them received the PDE-5 therapy. Over 80% of all the participants suffered from type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The Cochrane experts showed evidences of the significant improvements in sexual performance of the diabetic patients receiving such ED oral pills, as Viagra, Levitra or Cialis. The improvements were observed in the frequency of successful penetrations and in the ability to maintain the erection hard enough to complete the intercourse. In general, the use of PDE-5 inhibitors ensured about 26% more successful intercourse attempts in comparison to the control group of patients, who received placebo pills.

One of the reviewers, Dr. Vardi, said: "The results of our meta-analysis are not surprising, but give strength to the general notion that this class of drugs is efficient and safe for this specific wide population."

However, finding evidences of the ED drugs effectiveness in treating erectile dysfunction in men, suffering from diabetes, was not the only goal of the review. The scientists also paid attention to the safety issues, related to the PDE-5 therapy.

The experts noted that mortality was not reported in any of the studies under review. Cardiovascular side effects were present only in one study. At the same time, the most frequent adverse reaction, caused by PDE-5 inhibitors, was headache. The list of other side effects, reported during the trials, includes flushing, flu like syndromes, dyspepsia, myalgia, abnormal vision and back pain (in the descending order of frequency).

Thus, the Cochrane reviewers concluded that sufficient and statistically valid evidences do exist, proving the effectiveness and safety of PDE-5 inhibitors use in treating erectile dysfunction in patients, suffering from diabetes.

Nick

External resources
http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab002187.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=61505