A new study has found that popular cholesterol-lowering drugs Statins may offer great help to men who suffer erectile dysfunction.
The researchers at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School led by John B Kostis carriedthe first meta-analysis of earlier studies related to erectile dysfunction and statins.
The research team analysed 11 clinical trials to find out the main effects of statins on erectile function in men who had both high cholesterol and erectile dysfunction. Their erectile function scores increased by 3.4 points (from 14.0 to 17.4), the researchers said.
“The increase in erectile function scores with statins was approximately one-third to one-half of what has been reported with drugs like Viagra, Cialis or Levitra,” said Kostis.
According to the health experts, statins work in a similar fashion as Viagra does. They help in improving erectile function in men by helping blood vessels dilate properly and improving vascular blood flow to the penis.
Doctors and health advisors do not recommend statins as a primary treatment for erectile dysfunction in patients with healthy cholesterol levels.
An estimated 18 million to 30 million men are affected from erectile dysfunction. Moreover, experts say they are caused more often in men who are over the age of 40.
The common reasons responsible for erectile dysfunction include heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, depression, stress and tobacco use.