Starting in middle age, the prostate gland in men begins to enlarge and can make urination difficult. By age 80, about 25% of all men have BPH that is bothersome enough to require treatment. In such cases, doctors can prescribe medications or recommend surgery.
But current BPH treatments are far from perfect. Doctors continue to work on new approaches to current treatments and, although ED pills would seem unlikely candidates to treat BPH, studies suggest they may help.
The first ED pill, sildenafil (Viagra), revolutionized the treatment of ED—but it took four years for researchers to report that the little blue pill also appeared to reduce symptoms of BPH. And even now, only a handful of studies have examined the possible role of ED pills in BPH.
Despite the lag, the studies are favorable. In randomized clinical trials, sildenafil, vardenafil (Levitra), and tadalafil (Cialis) all appear to reduce lower urinary tract symptoms in men with BPH. The trials were brief, lasting 8 to 12 weeks, but several studies enrolled over 1,000 men. Men with both moderate and severe lower urinary tract symptoms improved. BPH symptoms improved to a similar degree both in men with ED and in those with normal sexual function; obesity did not interfere with the benefits.
The ED pills are not currently approved to treat BPH. Indeed, more research is needed to evaluate long-term efficacy and safety. It will also be important to conduct head-to-head comparisons between ED pills and medications already approved for BPH. Scientists should also evaluate combination therapy, particularly since doctors worry that ED pills may excessively lower blood pressure in men taking alpha blockers for BPH. And because the ED pills are much more expensive than BPH medications, cost is a factor in long-term therapy, especially since insurance does not cover ED pills for BPH.
Older men may be impatient for research results to flow in. But since many older gents have both ED and BPH, they may already be getting dual benefit from ED pills.
Read the full-length article: “ED pills and benign prostatic hyperplasia”
Also in this issue:
- The crucial, controversial carotid artery—Part II: Treatment
- Are electronic cigarettes safe?
- More advice on dietary guidelines and caloric percentages
The Harvard Men’s Health Watch is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $28 per year. Subscribe at www.health.harvard.edu/mens or by calling 877-649-9457 (toll-free).
