Prostate Enlargement/BPH Health Center

ED Drugs May Treat Urinary Problems

Cialis Study continued...

He especially wanted to see if they were as likely to do well if their urinary problems were severe as opposed to moderate. "They are equally statistically likely to respond to a dose of Cialis," he says.

The study was funded by Lilly, which is the maker of Cialis.

In another study, 223 men aged 45 to 64 who had urinary symptoms due to an enlarged prostate were assigned either to a group given 10 milligrams of Levitra twice daily for eight weeks or a placebo for the same time period.

Compared with placebo, treatment with the ED drug significantly improved the men's quality-of- life scores and their reports of urinary obstruction and irritation, says Boris Schlenker, MD, a urologist at Ludwig-Maxmillians-Universitaet Hospital in Munich, Germany, who presented the data. Erectile function improved in those who took the ED drug.

"Levitra is a promising new drug for men with lower urinary tract symptoms, but we need long-term data on how it might affect the progression of the disease," he says.

The Viagra Study

In a third study, McVary assigned 369 men aged 45 and up who had both erectile dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms to take either 50 milligrams of Viagra every night, 50 milligrams of Viagra an hour before planned sexual activity, or to take a placebo. The dose increased to 100 milligrams after two weeks.

When he evaluated their erectile function and urinary symptoms, he found 73% of the men with severe symptoms improved to having mild or moderate symptoms at the end of the study.

"The changes in prostate symptom scores were dramatic," he says. "They compete with alpha blockers." Alpha blockers are one type of drug commonly prescribed to treat urinary symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate. The more severe the urinary symptoms, the greater the relief, he says.

The study was funded by Pfizer, which is the maker of Viagra.

"This really is cutting-edge," says Gittelman.

The experts aren't sure if the ED drugs will eventually supplement or replace drugs used for urinary problems associated with an enlarged prostate, or if new formulations might be developed to deal with both conditions.

Some men on the ED drugs did report side effects, says Schlenker, with the most common in his study being headache.

It's not known exactly why the ED drugs also help the urinary symptoms, McVary says. By increasing blood flow to the pelvic area, the ED drugs may help relax the bladder enough to relieve the urinary problems.