Beware of ‘restorative’ ED therapies

There’s a roster of restorative therapies for erectile dysfunction — shockwaves, platelet rich plasma, and all kinds of stem cell treatments — that are advocated by some doctors, as well as medi-spas and anti-aging clinics. Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy for ED is especially popular in America.

Unfortunately, the use of shockwaves, stem cells or platelet-rich plasma is “experimental and should be conducted under research protocols (clinical trials) …” That’s the conclusion of researchers who recently made a presentation at the Sexual Medicine Society of North America.

In addition, the Society’s position paper on restorative therapies says, point blank, “restorative therapies should be reserved for clinical trials and not offered in routine clinical practice until adequate studies have demonstrated efficacy and safety.”

In other words, don’t risk far worse disability than your ED (which can be safely treated).

What is the right treatment? That depends on the cause. Have your cardiologist check if you have obstructed blood flow. Ask about procedures and medications like statins that are known to work safely. Consider talk therapy. Whatever your treatment, a study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found a remission rate of 29 percent after five years.

Kids eat more vegetables when you put more on their plate

Do you try to negotiate with your kids to get them to eat their vegetables? One Brussels sprout, 10 more minutes of TV time? (Don’t let it go over one hour for toddlers, and keep it balanced with physical activity for older kids.) Or do you promise dessert if they eat their salad? That’s hit or miss, at best, and then you have to fret about whether the dessert is healthy or not. Turns out the most effective way to get kids to eat more vegetables — and fruit — is to put more on their plate. (Who knew?)

Researchers from the Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior at Penn State tested two strategies for encouraging kids to eat more fruits and vegetables. One group of kids had 50 percent more to fruit and vegetable side dishes added to daily meals. A second group had 50 percent more fruits and vegetables substituted for an equivalent weight of the other foods. For example, when researchers added a couple of extra ounces of veggies to lunch, they subtracted a couple of ounces of mac and cheese. Both strategies work.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.