Recent reports have appeared, however, that some individuals have misused this class of drug, combining them with narcotics such as methamphetamines. These reports further note that such individuals may be, in particular, at an increased risk for HIV. If such claims of a large and expanding use of PDE-5 inhibitors are correct, this would signify an important public health concern.


A comprehensive, multi-disciplinary conference funded by the National Institutes of Health sought to determine whether the drug class of PDE-5 inhibitors was contributing to an overall increase in HIV infection. The results of this conference appear in the latest issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.


Convincing evidence was not found to support the conclusion that PDE-5 inhibitor use is a risk factor for HIV infection. For the large majority of men, PDE-5 inhibitor use is conducted in a stable, committed partner relationship. Under such circumstances, the risk of HIV infection is relatively small. Clinicians and educators did emphasize, however, the importance of safe sex practices for those engaging in risky sexual relations.


“It’s impressive how responsible most men are who use ED drugs, and the benefits they and their partners achieve with them, but there is a potential for abuse that needs to be recognized,” says Raymond C. Rosen, PhD, lead author of the report. “I would not like to see Viagra, Cialis or Levitra being used as performance enhancement drugs—that’s not why these drugs were approved or why physicians prescribe them.”


Irwin Goldstein, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine , noted that this paper is especially important to the field. “Health care providers should be reminded that individuals infected with HIV frequently have ED from their disease or from pharmacologic agents commonly used in its treatment. Positive clinical benefits have been reported in the HIV population when using PDE-5 inhibitor drugs as indicated.”


Source:http://www.innovations-report.com

Licenses had been granted to distribute seven new erectile dysfunction drugs produced by Vietnamese companies using imported materials, the Vietnamese health ministry said Tuesday.


They are Shilnafil and Shafil produced by Shinpoong Daewoo Vietnam Pharma. Co., Ltd; Tadalafil by Stada Vietnam Pharmaceutical Joint Venture; Dailis by the state-owned Central Pharmaceutical Company 5; and Man-axico by the Office Pharmaceutique du Vietnam, or OPV.


Source:http://www.thanhniennews.com

Health Canada is warning consumers against taking certain unauthorized natural health products promoted for the treatment of erectile dysfunction because they contain pharmaceutical ingredients that should be used only under medical supervision.


The products - Zimaxx, Actra-Rx, 4Everon, Vigor-25 and Nasutra - could pose serious health risks, especially for people with heart disease, those taking heart medications or those at risk for stroke.


Although not authorized for sale in Canada, Zimaxx, Actra-Rx, 4Everon, Vigor-25 and Nasutra are or may have been sold over the Internet or brought into Canada by travellers for personal use, Health Canada said in an advisory Thursday.


Zimaxx is adulterated with sildenafil, the active pharmaceutical ingredient found in the prescription drug Viagra. Actra-Rx, 4Everon and Nasutra contain modified forms of sildenafil. Vigor-25 is contaminated with a modified form of vardenafil, the active in the prescription drug Levitra.


Use of any of the products could cause serious side-effects, including sudden vision loss, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, penile tissue damage, permanent loss of potency and urinary tract infections. Other less serious side-effects may include indigestion, headaches, flushing and dizziness.


Source:http://www.cbc.ca

Bailey Buffalow was 18 months old before she laughed for the first time. Born three months premature, Bailey suffers from pulmonary hypertension, a rare condition in which the artery carrying blood from the heart to the lungs becomes constricted. A scan showed that the right side of her tiny heart had swollen to almost twice its normal size as it struggled to pump enough blood through the narrowing blood vessel. Even the slightest exertion—such as laughter—was too much for her. Left untreated, she would die. "I asked the doctor several times, 'Am I being inhumane to keep her alive?' " says Bailey's mother, Micah, a 23-year-old legal secretary from Albuquerque, N.M. Bailey's doctors were initially optimistic, but conventional treatments had little effect. Finally, they suggested an experimental treatment: Viagra.


"I said, 'You've got to be kidding'," Micah recalls. "Viagra, for Pete's sake—you wouldn't think of that for a little girl for any amount of reasons." But with no other option, Micah agreed, and three times a day gave Bailey a cherry-flavored syrup containing ground-up Viagra tablets. Almost immediately, Bailey's blood pressure and heart rate began to drop, and just days after beginning the treatment she laughed for the first time. Within months, the pressure in Bailey's pulmonary artery had dropped almost to normal, and her swollen heart had begun to shrink. Bailey's health will always be fragile, but if she remains stable she could be off meds in a year or so. It's hard to tell there was ever anything wrong with Bailey, now 3 years old, as she runs about playing—and laughing—with her friends, Micah says. "She couldn't sit still if her life depended on it."


Source:http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Approximately 40 per cent of Thai men aged 40 up suffer erectile dysfunction, a condition in which a man is unable to achieve or maintain an erection, said a Thai expert on sexual impotence.


Sexual health specialist Dr. Wanchai Nairakseri said that according to the recent study, some 40 per cent of Thai men aged between 40-70 years experience some degree of erectile dysfunction (ED).


The major causes are a decline in the male hormone, testosterone, as well as cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Other factors that contribute to ED include alcohol consumption, smoking, a lack of exercise, as well as stress and anxiety, the doctor said.


The study found that two-fifths of Thai men with ED do not seek medical treatment from doctors for the condition, due to their feelings of embarrassment, according to Dr. Wanchai.


The doctor encouraged those experiencing sexual impotence to consult physicians in order to receive a correct diagnosis and treatment. Patients should not neglect their own health or take medicines on their own without a physician's prescription because improper medications might cause serious harm and even death.


Erectile dysfunction can be a major threat to personal and family well-being.


To prevent such a consequence, patients should seek proper treatment as the condition is treatable if it is diagnosed early and the right drug is prescribed, Dr. Wanchai said.


Source:http://www.bangkokpost.com