Sexual impotence is just one of the many symptoms that a person can experience with diabetes. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 10 percent of men with type 1 diabetes have erectile dysfunction as a common complication.
A study was done with 188 patients to see if sildenafil citrate, the drug that is marketed as Viagra, was able to improve the overall quality of erections. The results were significant in comparison to the patients who were given the placebo. Sexual function was drastically improved. Headaches, flushing, and dyspepsia were seen as adverse effects, though these were in low numbers. The conclusion of the study showed that sildenafil citrate was in fact effective for erectile dysfunction.
Sildenafil citrate helps to reduce the blood pressure in diabetic patients. When this occurs, it allows for hypertension to be controlled. This in turn helps with the atherosclerosis of the penile artery so that an erection can take place with greater frequency. Atherosclerosis is a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances that can lead to problems within the body. Just as it would be bad for it to build up in the arteries of the heart, it is bad when it builds up within the penile artery because it makes it harder for blood to flow to the penis for an erection.
When the plaque is removed within the arteries, there is a greater amount of blood flow. This allows men with diabetes to experience an erection, thereby improving their overall sexual function.
Approximately 135 million adults had diabetes in 1995 according to the World Health Organization and that number has only grown. In the past 10 to 15 years treatment options for erectile dysfunction have improved dramatically.
The study that was conducted with sildenafil citrate focused on men with type 1 diabetes. Anyone who had genital deformities, psychiatric disorders, a history of alcohol abuse, stroke, and other health conditions were excluded. This allowed doctors to focus on the efficacy of sildenafil citrate purely on erectile dysfunction of men with diabetes. The studies showed a considerable improvement, which shows that it can help with sexual impotence.
The way that sildenafil citrate is able to treat the impotence is by improving the overall blood flow. When the hypertension is addressed, the flow becomes greatly improved, specifically within the penile artery as that is the one primarily responsible for helping a man to achieve an erection.
While sildenafil citrate has not been able to help all men with type 1 diabetes, it has been able to help a number of them. Viagra, which is how sildenafil citrate is most commonly referred, is the number one product given to men who have erectile dysfunction. This ensures that men are able to have a more fulfilling sex life.
Sildenafil citrate has since been proven to help with various other conditions in the body, including pulmonary arterial hypertension. This ensures that blood flow is improved and ensures that the flow of blood to the penis is greatly improved.
