Statins can boost middle aged men in the bedroom
SOME five million British men already take statins to reduce the risk of heart disease. Now it seems the drugs could have another benefit.
Scientists have discovered that the 5p cholesterol-busting pills can also help beat impotence.
Two thirds of men over the age of 40 suffer from some degree of erectile dysfunction, and many of these will also be eligible for statins because of their high cholesterol.
Experts hope the findings, unveiled at a gathering of 32,000 heart doctors in Rome, will help persuade more men at risk of cardiovascular disease to consider taking statins.
Researcher Dr Alexios Samentzas, a cardiologist from Elpis Hospital in Athens, said the results were ‘ very significant’. ‘ By improving cholesterol levels, patients were also benefiting from better erections,’ he said. ‘It is a win-win.
‘Statins work by improving blood vessels and blood flow. We hoped to see some small improvement, but it was much larger than expected.’
His team carried out the trial on 100 men aged between 40 and 70. All participants had high cholesterol and were struggling with erectile dysfunction.
Half were given a low dose of atorvastatin – one of the most common types of statin – for three months, while the other half were left untreated. Those who were given the pills saw their erectile function scores rise by 4.9 points, from 11.4 to 16.3, representing a 43 per cent improvement. Dr Samentzas said that was about half the improvement patients would expect to see if they took Viagra, which is prescribed specifically to treat erectile dysfunction. Speaking at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Rome, Dr Samentzas said: ‘The findings offer an extra motivation for patients considering whether to take statins. They can help boost their heart and their erections.’ He said the pills were unlikely to help men who had healthy levels of cholesterol.
Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said the results were reassuring. ‘In the past there has been concern that taking statins might contribute to erectile dysfunction,’ he said.
‘This small study adds to the small body of evidence that taking statins could actually be useful in reducing erectile dysfunction. A larger more definitive study is needed to confirm these findings.’
Professor Charalambos Vlachopoulos, a Greek cardiologist and co-author of Europe’s cholesterol guidelines, said the pills improve blood flow.
He said: ‘One way it works is that it may shrink the plaque [cholesterol build-up] so the blood flow is boosted because the vessels are not as narrow.
‘The other is that statins improve vessel health, so more blood can come through.’ Statins have been used since the 1980s to help reduce cholesterol, slashing the risk of heart death.
Experts say the drugs are priceless, saving an estimated 7,000 lives in Britain every year.
But some patients complain about side effects, particularly muscle pain, and doctors sometimes have to persuade them to stay on the drugs.
Emerging evidence suggests that statins might also help with other conditions.
A US study published last year found that for common cancers, including breast, bowel and prostate, death rates were at least 40 per cent lower among statin users.
There is also evidence that statins may help reverse the most common cause of blindness, age-related macular degeneration.
Medical firms have long vied to find different ways to treat erectile dysfunction, knowing there are fortunes to be made for those who produce an effective treatment.
When Pfizer launched Viagra in 1998 its share price doubled within days. Since then, the pills have pulled in more than £1billion every year, even after its patent ended in 2013.
Viagra and other drugs like it are generally safe, but for some people they can cause side effects including headaches, migraines, indigestion, nausea and vision problems.
‘Offers an extra motivation’