Summary

  • Side effects of viagra: when the blue pill is bad for the heart!
  • Gender and cardiovascular risk in patients
  • Cardiac safety and tolerance in the treatment of ED
  • Patient Guide: How to Avoid Viagra Side Effects

Side effects of viagra: when the blue pill is bad for the heart!
More
and more men are experiencing erection problems
during sexual activity
,
which often prompt them to use the blue pill, or viagra .
However, an abuse of this drug, in particular
clinical conditions, can cause serious problems
to the male body
,
especially the heart .
In fact, recent studies have highlighted the relationship
between erectile dysfunction (ED)

and cardiovascular disease .
In particular, the role of dysfunction has been clarified
endothelial and nitric oxide in erectile dysfunction and
atherosclerotic disease.
Given
the large number of men receiving medical treatment for erectile
dysfunction, concerns regarding the side effects of viagra need to be addressed . Gender and Cardiovascular Risk in Patients
To
understand the side
effects of viagra
, the
First Princeton Consensus Panel
developed a
stratification
algorithm for cardiovascular risk
associated with sexual activity

for men with varying degrees of cardiovascular disease. To the
patients were assigned 3
categories
: low,
intermediate
(including those
requiring further evaluation) and high
risk
.

  1. Patients at
    low risk

    for heart complications are generally good candidates for
    both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for
    erectile

    dysfunction. For example , patients
    with a history of heart attack

    , mild mitral
    valve disease, pericarditis,
    mitral valve prolapse or atrial fibrillation

    with controlled ventricular response are not at high risk and
    must be managed individually. Most
    low-risk patients can
    safely engage in sexual activity

    or receive
    treatment for erectile dysfunction

    if necessary.
  1. Intermediate
    or undetermined risk patients

    are those
    whose heart conditions are uncertain
    ,
    as well as those with multiple risk factors, require
    further testing or evaluation

    before resuming sexual activity. Based on the results
    of this evaluation, these patients can
    subsequently be classified as high or low risk
    from sexual activity.
  1. High
    -risk
    patients
    should be stabilized with
    cardiology
    treatment
    before considering resuming
    sexual activity or recommending treatment for
    sexual dysfunction.

Cardiac safety and tolerance in the treatment of ED
Today there are several solutions to combat the problems related to erectile dysfunction, which vary according to the extent of the problem, the needs of the patient and the couple: from drug therapy, from psychological to sexual therapy. .

  • PDE –
    5 therapy
    . Phosphodiesterase
    5 (PDE-5)
    inhibitors
    are drugs capable of improving
    erectile function by enhancing the effect of nitric oxide

    (NO); the main mediator of penile erection.
    PDE-5 inhibitors are currently approved
    by the
    Food and Drug
    Administration
    for the
    treatment of erectile dysfunction although this class of
    drugs may have potential benefits
    for endothelial or heart function
    .
    It has also been shown that Sildenafil
    reduces pulmonary arterial pressure, improves
    cardiac output and reduces symptoms of pulmonary hypertension
    .
  • Hypogonadism
    and testosterone therapy
    The use of testosterone, as
    an add-on therapy to PDE-5 inhibitors for the treatment
    of erectile dysfunction and hypogonadism, has led to
    positive outcomes in patients in whom PDE-inhibitor therapy
    alone 5 didn’t work. Testosterone
    can exert its effect on the vascular wall, either directly
    or
    through estrogen aromatization
    .

Patient Guide: Avoiding Viagra Side Effects For
both
GPs and specialists, managing patients
with erectile dysfunction
, and
concomitant cardiovascular disease or risk factors, presents
unique challenges and opportunities. To understand the side
effects of viagra
,
current guidelines emphasize the need for:

  • Do a sexual function assessment , which should be included in the initial cardiovascular assessment for all men.
  • Making an andrologic examination and full clinical evaluation, based on a thorough medical history , physical examination, and relevant laboratory tests allows for stratification of patients into high, low and intermediate levels of cardiac risk.
  • Have a healthy lifestyle . Marked improvements in erectile function with educational control in obese men have been shown on exercise and weight loss.

For more information on erectile dysfunction and the effects of viagra, contact Dr. De Luca’s office!

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