MIAMI – Erectile dysfunction drugs may increase the risk of early death when combined with a common drug for chest pain, according to a study published in the Journal of American Cardiology.
The study included over 60,000 men with stable coronary artery disease and a history of heart attack or revascularization, a non-surgical procedure that treats blockages.
It found that men taking erectile dysfunction medications along with nitrates, a common drug for chest pain, saw an increase in their risk for heart failure and early death.
Patients who want to use medications for erectile dysfunction are advised to talk to their doctors about other treatment options and about how to take them along with nitrates.
PENILE IMPLANT PROCEDURES ON THE RISE
Dr. Jason Wolf, a urologist with HCA Florida Kendall Hospital said a growing number of men who suffer from erectile dysfunction are seeking penile implants, a procedure he said was developed decades ago in South Florida.
”There has been an improvement over that time to avoid complications and make it more accessible to some of the patient population so I think that may be driving some of the uptick in patients asking for these types of implants to help with their erectile dysfunction,” Wolf said.
He said pain from the procedure, which takes about 30 minutes to perform, typically subsides within a week.
IMPACT OF FAMILY SIZE ON MENTAL HEALTH
A new study suggests that the size of your family could impact your mental health.
Researchers looked at teenagers in the U.S. and China and found that those with larger families had poorer mental health than those with smaller families.
Researchers believe people with more siblings may receive fewer resources and attention from their parents.