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| |  Data Suggest Cardura (Doxazosin) Can Improve Sexual Function in Men ORLANDO, Fla., May 6, 1996 -- A drug used to treat both enlarged prostate and high blood pressure may also help men with erectile dysfunction regain potency, according to data presented today by a University of Minnesota researcher at the American Urological Association meeting. Some treatments for enlarged prostate -- so-called "BPH" -- and high blood pressure actually contribute to impotence. "Fear of sexual side effects is one of the factors which deters men from seeking diagnosis and treatment for these common disorders," said Richard H. Grimm, M.D., Ph.D., who presented the data. "We have known for some time that the drug doxazosin is not associated with increased incidence of impotence, but this is the first time that this medication -- or any antihypertensive medication -- has been observed to have a positive effect on sexual function," he added. Dr. Grimm is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota and Director of the Shapiro Center for Evidence-Based Medicine at the Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation. The data presented were derived from the NHLBI-funded Treatment of Mild Hypertension Study (TOMHS) -- a double-blind trial in which 557 men were randomized to one of five active drugs or placebo. The findings indicate that over a two year period: -- One hundred percent of men (8 of 8) with pre-existing erection problems regained their potency with doxazosin (Cardura(R)), compared to 43 percent of those on placebo and 31-to-50 percent of those taking other medications; -- Only three percent of men on doxazosin experienced problems obtaining erections, compared to five percent of those on placebo and seven-to-16 percent of those taking other treatments; -- Only four percent of men were unable to maintain an erection following treatment with doxazosin, compared to seven percent of those on placebo and seven-to-17 percent of those taking other treatments. Commenting on the study, medical anthropologist Thomas M. Johnson, Ph.D. said, "Many men associate enlarged prostate and its treatment with threat of impotency, and this can cause them to suffer stoically in silence." Dr. Johnson today released an extensive report exploring the psychosocial issues surrounding health, sex and the prostate in men age 50 and over. Dr. Johnson's research included analysis of data from a nationally-projectable survey of 509 men and in-depth, personal interviews with 20 men. He found that 85 percent of older men surveyed would undergo treatment for a condition that troubled them but was not serious or life-threatening -- such as BPH. However, only 60 percent would undergo treatment if there was a risk that it could affect their sexual functioning. Said one interviewee: "I don't have sexual problems now, but I'm worried about this ... It's the one thing that worried me about having to get treatment for prostate problems, which can cause impotency ..." Dr. Johnson, who is professor of family medicine and director of behavioral science at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Huntsville, also found that there were cultural taboos associated with the digital rectal exam required to diagnose BPH: "While most men would rather be examined by a male doctor, nearly one in five would like another health professional in the room while it's going on -- in other words, a chaperon." "There also appear to be loosely-defined issues associated with having BPH. For example, it's widely believed that regular sex gives you a healthy prostate, so there may be stigma associated with having an 'unhealthy' prostate," continued Dr. Johnson. "Twenty-four percent of men who had symptoms associated with BPH, such as frequent urination at night, said the problems affected their sex lives -- possibly because they were reminded of their age and felt less inclined to be sexually active, or because they and their partners were suffering from sleep loss."
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