Bicycle riding and erectile dysfunction

Department of Urology, Institute of Men's Health, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

For many years, reports in the literature have implicated bicycle riding as causing increased risk of erectile dysfunction (ED). Perineal compression during cycling has been associated with the development of sexual complications.

To review current literature on the rationale for ED from bicycle riding and outcome of bicycle riding on erectile function and to present available research on preventative measures specifically regarding bicycle riding.

A systematic comprehensive literature review. Results. There is a significant relationship between cycling-induced perineal compression leading to vascular, endothelial, and neurogenic dysfunction in men and the development of ED. Research on female bicyclists is very limited but indicates the same impairment as in male bicyclists. Preventative measures including use of a properly fitted bicycle, a riding style with a suitable seat position and an appropriate bicycle seat can help prevent impairment of erectile function.

There is a need for further research on safe bicycle and bicycle seat design and investigations that address the underlying mechanisms leading to cycling-related sexual dysfunction in both male and female bicyclists.

Looking at a curvy women gives men same high as Erectile Dysfunction drugs

ccording to the study, men looking at an hourglass figure can activate the part of the brain associated with feelings of reward.
Scientists say their findings make sense of the view that curvier women, such as Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé Knowles, are sexually appealing.

Researchers used a sample of 14 men with an average age of 25 and showed them pictures of the posteriors of seven women.
They then carried out cosmetic surgery on the women, redistributing fat from their waists to the backsides but not changing their overall weight.
Brain scans of the men revealed that looking at the women after surgery activated parts of the brain linked with rewards, including regions associated with responses to drugs and alcohol.

Researcher Steven Platek, an evolutionary cognitive neuroscientist at Georgia Gwinnett College, in Georgia, USA, said: "There's more to it than buying magazines.

"These findings could help further our understanding pornography addiction and related disorders, such as erectile dysfunction in the absence of pornography.
"The findings could also lend to the scientific inquiry about sexual infidelity."
The scientists also found that changes in a woman's body-mass index (BMI) only affected brain areas linked to simple visual appreciation of size and shape.

Mr Platek said this may be evidence that body fat influences judgments of female beauty due more to society's norms than the way the brain is wired.
Mr Platek and his colleague Devendra Singh detailed their findings in the journal PLoS ONE.

Pfizer's profit rise disappoints

Shares in Pfizer have fallen 2.3% after its latest quarterly profits and earnings target for 2010 both failed to meet market expectations.

The world's largest drugmaker made a net profit of $767m (£481m) in the last three months of 2009, almost triple the $266m it made a year before.

The profits were lifted by Pfizer's $67bn purchase of fellow US pharmaceutical group Wyeth in October.

Revenues at the group were up 34% to $16.5bn.

Excluding one-off items, Pfizer's profits equate to 49 cents per share. Analysts had expected them to total 50 cents per share.

Pfizer said it expects profits of between $2.10 and $2.20 per share for 2010, below market expectations of $2.27 per share.

Its profits for the October to December quarter were much lower in 2008 when it had to pay $2.3bn to settle government allegations that it improperly marketed some of its drugs.

Pfizer is best known for being the producer of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra.

Lost your sex drive? Then try pork, like the president

The people of Argentina are being asked to experiment with a new addition to the national diet: pork.

In response to a beef shortage which means her country will soon have fewer cows than people for the first time in living memory, Argentina's President Cristina Fernández has launched a bold campaign to persuade the nation that pig meat is "sexy".

She has given a speech touting pork as a cheap alternative to Viagra – and suggesting that she had personal experience. "I didn't know that eating pork improved sexual activity, [but] it is much more gratifying to eat some grilled pork than to take Viagra," she said at a meeting on Thursday where she unveiled new subsidies to representatives of the swine industry.

Tucking into a pork chop with her husband, former president Néstor Kirchner, Ms Fernández raised an eyebrow and declared that it was "all good", adding that rumours of the meat's aphrodisiac qualities ( for erectile dysfunction) "might be right".

Agencies line up for Viagra like launch task

Pfizer, the global pharmaceuticals company, is holding talks with agencies about a launch advertising brief for a new Viagra-like product that tackles erectile dysfunction.

The company, which already owns the prescription-only Viagra brand, is understood to be considering launching the new product in 2011. It does not yet have a name.

The product contains an ingredient that is also found in Viagra, but has been altered in a bid to make it available to consumers over the counter. Pfizer has already attempted to make Viagra available without prescription in the UK, and trialled the product at three Manchester chemists in 2007.

However, a nationwide launch was halted after European regulators raised concerns that thousands of men with underlying health problems could be put at risk if they were given the opportunity to take the pill without consulting their doctor first.

In the UK, Rapp handles the digital and direct marketing work for Viagra. The agency won the £8m business in November 2007, after a pitch against TMW.

Last year, Pfizer launched a controversial cinema ad that aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of buying drugs such as Viagra online without a prescription.

The ad, by the healthcare agency Langland, featured a man pulling a dead rat out of his mouth and attracted more than 50 complaints to the advertising regulator.

Source: http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/983356/Agencies-line-Viagra-like-launch-task/

Deadly erectile dysfunction drugs for women

Authorities raided a local direct-selling firm’s outlets yesterday for selling to women a health supplement that contains a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction.
Health Ministry enforcement officers seized RM1 million worth of health supplements marketed under the brand names “Extremen” and “Extrewomen”.

The officers conducted the nationwide raids simultaneously, including at the firm’s headquarters in Taman Shamelin, Cheras, here and a factory in Malacca.

Ministry pharmaceutical enforcement division director Hatta Ahmad said more than 200 officers were involved in the raids on more than 20 locations following a month of surveillance.

“Prior to the raids, samples of the product, which were sold in powder form, were sent to the Chemistry Department and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry for tests.

“Results revealed that Extrewomen contained tadalafil while Extremen contained hydroxythiohomosildenafil, an analogue of sildenafil or Viagra.” Tadalafil is used to treat erectile dysfunction but can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription, similar to Viagra. Those suffering diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease are not allowed to consume tadalafil as it can have massive repercussions.

The analogue hydroxyhomosildenafil is illegal in Malaysia as it causes health problems to those who consume it.

Hatta said: “I nvestigations revealed that users did not realise that there was tadalafil inside the product because the manufacturers claimed the product only contained natural herbs and collagen, a group of naturally-occurring proteins.

“But Extrewomen will make women feel amorous and randy. They will not realise that it is due to the tadalafil in the product.” He took the direct-selling company to task for selling the product as tadalafil was a controlled substance.

The side effects include headaches, stomach aches, blurred vision or, in extreme cases, sudden death.

The amount of tadalafil in the product seized is considered three times stronger than taking a Viagra pill.

Investigations revealed that the products had been distributed nationwide besides being exported to Indonesia, based on invoices found at the headquarters.

Symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction

It may seem silly to discuss the symptoms of erectile dysfunction since it shows up in such an obvious way. If you have it, there is one major symptom that you notice. A symptom is defined as a condition that signifies the presence of something else. In this case, the ED is the symptom.

Erectile dysfunction, however, is usually the result of some other underlying condition. This underlying condition could be either psychological or physical. Disease, hormonal issues and neurological conditions could all trigger the onset of ED. More serious cases could be caused
by things such as depression or anxiety.

Due to the fact that modern medicine and technology are allowing people to live longer and healthier lives, many people are enjoying sex later in life than they once did. This, and the fact that ED affects more men over the age of 65, is why this problem is now being looked at as a real medical condition.

If a person is unable to enjoy sex, which is a natural part of life, there can be devastating psychological effects. The presence of ED can also indicate the presence of some other disease. This is why the treatment of ED can be so difficult. There is often an underlying condition that also requires treatment.

Aside from the obvious symptoms of ED, there are many other physical symptoms that may accompany it. One example of this would be high blood pressure. Diabetes is another underlying condition that is characterized by excess blood glucose and continual thirst. These are just two possible conditions that could be related to the onset of erectile dysfunction.

There may also be various psychological symptoms that accompany erectile dysfunction. Chronic depression is often associated with this condition. The difficulty arises when trying to decide if the depression is causing the impotence or the other way around. Either condition can cause the other.

The reason for impotence may be something as simple as performance anxiety if no other underlying condition can be found. This could occur if a man is once again trying to begin a sex life after a long period of time without. This could be because of being widowed or divorced, for example. The worry and anxiety of beginning to have sex again can cause doubt about one's ability to do so. This can often lead to actual impotence. A pattern of self doubt and lack
of confidence can begin if one starts to believe they cannot perform sexually.

It is up to you to sit down with your doctor and try to determine what the actual causes of the condition are. No treatment will be successful without a proper diagnosis. The condition may be able to be treated with drugs, such as Viagra or Cialis, or some other treatment may be necessary. Either way, proper diagnosis is the key.

Moses Wright is a health conscious webmaster. He sets upthis site to help people learn more about erectiledysfunction. You can find more resources at:http://www.healthfitnesswellbeing.com/erectile_dysfunction.htm

Study Confirms That Levitra® On Demand Is Effective In Patients With ED After Nerve-sparing Prostatectomy

A study published in the European Urology journal demonstrated that Levitra® (vardenafil, HCI) is highly efficacious in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) even shortly after radical nerve-sparing prostatectomy. This landmark study conducted by Bayer Schering Pharma was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multicentre study, the largest of its kind until. It investigated the tolerability and efficacy of Levitra taken once nightly as a prophylactic treatment versus Levitra PRN taken on demand (i.e. when needed) versus placebo after a bilateral, nerve-sparing, radical retropubic prostatectomy (BNSRRP).In the first, double-blind phase of the study, which started approximately 14 days after surgery and ended nine months later, men experienced excellent results with Levitra. 36 percent of men taking Levitra on demand (on demand vs. placebo p=<0.0001), 20 percent taking Levitra nightly (p=<0.01) and 17 percent of men on placebo reported normal erectile function (represented by an International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) of ≥ 26) measured at last observation carried forward (LOCF). Over the entire double-blind period the mean per-patient success rates for a successful intercourse were 46 percent for Levitra on demand (vs. placebo p=<0.0001), 34.5 percent for Levitra nightly, and 25 percent on placebo as measured by one question of the diary-based Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP). The study does not support its primary endpoint, the concept of maintaining erectile function by an early intervention with nightly dosing of Levitra in patients after nerve-sparing prostatectomy.....

Full article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116222.php

Sexual desire elusive for many women

It’s the biggest sexual problem women have, and the little blue pill doesn’t seem to help.

Viagra – the medication that enables male erections – doesn’t enhance sexual interest among women taking anti-depressants, a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association says.

The drug does help women taking the drugs have orgasms more frequently, the JAMA study reports. And it does engorge the clitoris, although this doesn’t yield higher sexual satisfaction, other research shows.

But desire, that elusive flame that propels women toward sexual partners, remains untouched, according to this new study and earlier research by Pfizer Inc., the company that makes the medication.

Viagra “doesn’t have any effect on libido," Robert Taylor Seagraves, a psychiatry professor at Case Western University, told US News & World Report.

"It doesn’t work for desire," echoed Lillian Arleque, 62, a Viagra user and the author of “When Sex Isn’t Good,” quoted in today’s Baltimore Sun. "When you take Viagra it increases blood flow to your genitals. It increases sensation."

Just how big a problem is a lack of interest in sex among women?

A study in last week’s Archives of Internal Medicine shines new light on the question.

Researchers conducted phone surveys of 2,207 women age 30 to 70 and found that 36.2 percent – or more than one out of every three women – admitted to tepid sexual desire in the last 30 days. All the women had been in a steady relationship at least three months.

The finding is consistent with earlier studies. For instance, when University of Chicago sociologist Edward Laumann asked U.S. women about sex in a landmark 1999 study, also published in JAMA, 32 percent reported having low libidos. (By contrast, 15 to 17 percent of men acknowledged a diminished sex drive.)

Another study of 1,355 Swedish woman between the ages of 18 and 74 that year found that 33 percent reported low sexual desire "quite often," "nearly all the time" or "all the time."

And two years ago, in a survey of 2,050 U.S. women published in the journal Menopause, researchers found that 24 percent to 36 percent reported a distinct lack of sexual interest, depending on their age and menopausal status.

The new Archives of Internal Medicine review also documents declining interest in sex for a significant number of women after menopause.

(The study was funded by Procter & Gamble, which wants to sell a testosterone patch for women in the U.S. It’s already available in Europe.)

Of women who entered menopause naturally as a result of aging, 52.4 percent confirmed low levels of desire. By contrast, 26.7 percent of women still getting their periods and 39.7 percent of women in menopause because of surgical interventions (removal of the ovaries) found themselves without sexual urges.

What’s going on?

Changing hormones, which are disrupted through menopause, may explain some of the falloff in sexual interest, says Suzanne West, the study’s lead author and senior public health researcher at RTI International. And clearly, the quality of women’s relationships may be a factor, although this study doesn’t examine inter-personal influences, she adds.

Particularly notable is a somewhat surprising finding: Most women who experience subdued desire don’t seem particularly perturbed about it.

Indeed, only one-quarter of the women who said they weren't inclined toward sex were disturbed by their lack of feeling. Distress levels were lowest among women in natural menopause and highest among women in surgical menopause........ Source http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/triage/2008/07/sexual-desire-e.html

Have you got an erection problem? - Erectile Dysfunction in a nutshell

Did you ever wonder what does the term "Erectile Dysfunction" stand for? You might be subject to an erection problem or Erectile Dysfunction if you have any one or all of these symptoms:

• Low sex desire


• Not being turned on


• Insufficient erection (for intercourse)


• Unable to keep an erection during intercourse


• Not having an orgasm


• Quick ejaculation


• Weak orgasm


• Having an orgasm but unable to ejaculate


• Painful sex
  
  

Erection problem can have many forms in different men:

Some men are able to get an erect penis but cannot ejaculate or have an orgasm. Some men can erect and ejaculate but experience a decline in the intensity of the orgasm. Others are able to ejaculate and have orgasm with a soft penis. Some men can attain an erection but not sustain it in order to penetrate and complete the sex act. Others can erect and penetrate but ejaculate too quickly to satisfy themselves or their partner. Some men will experience pain in the genitalia with sexual activity.

How to tell if your erection problem has an underlying psychological reason?

Impotence of short duration is very often psychologically related to a specific event or has a physical cause such as beginning a new medication or having gone through a surgical procedure. If you can achieve a fully hard erection with self-stimulation or with the help of your partner, indicates normal blood and nerve supply to your penis.

If you get a good-quality erection at any time that is sufficient to complete the act of intercourse, yet at other times you are impotent, or being able to become erect with self stimulation but not for intercourse is usually an indication of a psychological problem.

If you are impotent only with a certain partner there is not likely to be any physical problem causing impotence.

Impotence with longer duration suggests a physical cause:

Impotence that is of a longer duration and has come on slowly but progressively usually has a physical cause such as poor blood flow.

If you had any of these illnesses in the past, your doctor needs to know about it because these may indicate an underlying physical cause of impotence.

• Heart Problem


• High Blood Pressure


• Diabetes


• Thyroid gland disease


• Testicular disease


• Parkinson's disease


• Stroke


• Cancer


• Kidney disease


• Any Other neurological disease

Some drugs can cause Erectile Dysfunction:

Commonly prescribed medicines such as antidepressants, blood pressure pills, sedatives, hormones, drugs for peptic ulcer, and over-the-counter cold medications can contribute to erectile failure in some men. You should review your medications with your doctor.

ED Treatments:

For more information on Erectile Dysfunction, please visit the following web sites:

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleID=210
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/medical_notes/104740.stm

http://www.viagra-information.co.uk/