Specialist examines the benefits of treatments for erectile dysfunction

MIAMI – An estimated 30 million men in the U.S. are affected by erectile dysfunction.

On Tuesday, Local 10 News’ Healthcast examined the effectiveness of two popular treatments for E.D.

Urologist Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy with UHealth’s Desai Sethi Institute led a clinical trial focused on the use of platelet-rich plasma, or P.R.P. versus placebo for study participants with E.D.

“What we found was very interesting, we actually found the erectile function improved in the men that got PRP but also improved in the men that got placebo. so this basically goes to show that PRP can improve erectile dysfunction but no better than placebo,” he said.

Ramasamy also pointed out that P.R.P. Is considered experimental and not covered by insurance.

On the contrary, urologist Dr. Amy Pearlman with Prime Institute says, when done correctly, shockwave therapy has been shown to be beneficial in treating some patients with E.D.

“It actually is not a painful procedure, patients come into the office it takes about ten minutes to perform they go home the same day. There’s no downtime,” she said.

Pearlman said a series of treatments done over several weeks can increase blood flow to the tissue, which can ultimately improve sexual function.

Still unknown is how long the benefits last.

WEIGHT LOSS INJECTION COMING IN PILL FORM?

And a popular weight-loss drug may soon be available in pill form.

Two new studies show that semaglutide pills have a similar effect as the weekly Ozempic and Wegovy injections.

The pill helped patients lose 15 percent of their body fat over eight months.

However, the pill contains more side effects like vomiting, nausea, and constipation.

As of now, it’s not known when it’ll hit the market.


About the Authors

Kristi Krueger has built a solid reputation as an award-winning medical reporter and effervescent anchor. She joined Local 10 in August 1993. After many years co-anchoring the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., Kristi now co-anchors the noon newscasts, giving her more time in the evening with her family.

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