Advances in suppositories, injectable medications, implants, and vacuum devices have expanded the options for men seeking treatment for ED. These advances have also helped increase the number of men seeking treatment. Gene therapy for ED is now being tested in several centers and may offer a long-lasting therapeutic approach for ED.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) sponsors programs aimed at understanding the causes of erectile dysfunction and finding treatments to reverse its effects. NIDDK's Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases supported the researchers who developed Viagra and continue to support basic research into the mechanisms of erection and the diseases that impair normal function at the cellular and molecular levels, including diabetes and high blood pressure.

Erectile dysfunction may boost Parkinson's risk

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Results of a study suggest an association between erectile dysfunction and an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary bodily functions like heart rate and digestion, is often affected in Parkinson's disease, and erectile function, which is controlled by the autonomic system, is commonly compromised, the study team notes in a report.

The American Journal of Cardiology: Comparison of Findings on Stress Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in Men With Versus Without Erectile Dysfunction and Without Prior Heart Disease

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been associated with a future risk of myocardial infarction, yet the findings on stress testing in men with ED and without previous coronary artery disease are unknown. Stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomographic imaging (MPI) allows detection of coronary artery disease and predicts cardiovascular prognosis. Our goal was to determine the association between ED and findings at stress MPI testing in men without previous coronary artery disease. Five hundred seventy-five men without previous coronary artery disease referred for stress MPI were prospectively screened for ED with the validated International Index of Erectile Function. ED was present in 46% of subjects, and ED was associated with more mild (summed stress score ≥4) and severe (summed stress score >8) coronary artery disease and with more composite high-risk stress MPI findings (summed stress score >8, left ventricular ejection fraction 8, and composite high-risk MPI findings. In conclusion, in men without known coronary artery disease referred for stress MPI testing, ED is associated with adverse prognostic indicators at MPI testing including coronary artery disease and high-risk MPI findings.

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