Statins Might Reverse ED in Some Men (HealthDay)

FRIDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Statins might quickly helpreverse erectile dysfunction among men who have metabolic syndrome, newanimal research suggests.

A threat to cardiovascular health, metabolic syndrome is also known toraise the risk for erectile dysfunction (ED). The current findingindicates that statins may reduce levels of a specific protein thatcontributes to ED.

"Each condition of metabolic syndrome phenomenon -- high bloodpressure, type 2 diabetes and obesity -- independently raises the risk forerectile dysfunction just on their own," explained study authorChristopher J. Wingard, an associate professor of physiology with theBrody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C."And so, when all are present in combination as part of this syndrome, youhave a situation where you don't even need to be as diabetic orhypertensive as you might otherwise have to be to experience erectiledysfunction. And that fact has been raising concern among clinicians."

"So, we followed up on case reports and anecdotal evidence that statinsbeing used to lower cholesterol over a six- to eight-week period amongpatients with metabolic syndrome seemed to also quickly improveerections -- even before cholesterol levels go down," Wingard added. "Andin an animal model, we found this to be the case."

Wingard and his colleagues presented their findings recently at theAmerican Urological Association Research Conference, in Linthicum, Md.

The effort to evaluate the possibility of using statins to treat EDfocused on 16- to 20-week-old lean and obese rats, all of whom were givenone of three statins on a daily basis for between three to five days.

The researchers then assessed erectile function in the rats. At thesame time, they also measured any changes in levels of certain keyproteins that they believed could be involved in triggering the onset ofED.

The authors found that the statins were able to quickly relieve some ofthe vascular constriction associated with metabolic syndrome that canbring about ED.

They further noted that the way in which the statins appeared to havetheir effect was by inhibiting the expression -- and lowering thelevels -- of a particular protein known as Rho-kinase. This protein hadpreviously been cited as a possible culprit in vascular constriction ofpenile smooth muscle.

Wingard suggested that more research is sure to follow, to explorewhether the findings would apply to patients following a long-term regimenof statin treatment.

However, Dr. Arnold Melman, chairman of the department of urology atAlbert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, described thefindings as "very preliminary."

"Statins are used by everyone under the sun, and, as far as I know,there's been no hard evidence that it can be used to treat erectiledysfunction," he said. "On the other hand, it may be that it could preventor modify some of the other risk factors for erectile dysfunction."

"This is because we do know that an increase in Rho-kinase leads toheightened tone of the corpus smooth muscle, which is one of the causes oferectile dysfunction," Melman noted. "So, while I wouldn't go too far withthis, and I would probably not see statins becoming a primary treatmentfor erectile dysfunction, if these findings turn out to be true, thenthere could perhaps be an additional good use for statins."

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