How one man sought an impotence cure–and found one

This is a report from Viagra’s front lines. It is from a married man in his early 50s–a friend of this writer who has tried out Pfizer’s new impotence drug. Call him X; he does not want his name used. And call him grateful; Viagra worked for him. Is it a wonder drug? The 75,000 prescriptions written for Viagra in the first two weeks after it came to market in late March suggest that many hope it could be–and the potential market numbers as many as 30 million American men, a significant share in their 40s or even younger. (more…)

Viagra facts. U.S. News health writer Mary Brophy Marcus looked into these common questions about Viagra (more…)

Baby boomers who want to stay young forever–and who desires anything less these days?–are giving the pharmaceutical industry something that very few consumer-products makers have: a growing, demand-driven market. American companies will spend more than $20 billion this year to develop pills and potions for everything from wrinkles and baldness to the prevention of strokes and heart attacks. More boomer selfishness? Maybe not. If science insists on getting more mileage out of the engine and prolonging our lives–thus allowing us to work into our 70s–what’s wrong with maintaining the chrome and fenders? “We expect medicine to deliver that,” says Susan Coleman, president of NCI Consulting, a New Jersey adviser to drug companies. (more…)

Around the world, approved or not, the little blue pin is a social phenomenon: the hottest new drug in history. Is this a good thing? RASHID GABDULLIN IS ONLY 32 years old, and he claims he’s never had any complaints about his sexual performance. So when Gabdullin, a reporter for a Russian newspaper, tried the new anti-impotence drug Viagra, it was as a service to his readers. One dose did nothing for him, apart from inspiring “warm romantic feelings and a desire to meet a nice girl and take her to dinner,” he wrote in the daily Komsomolskaya Pravda, which employs him as a correspondent in Central America. (more…)

Viagra is being used by young people in British nightclubs in potentially lethal combination with cocaine, Ecstasy, and other illegal drugs, researchers said.

“The recreational use of Viagra by apparently healthy women and men is now occurring in Britain,” Judith Aldridge and Fiona Measham, senior researchers at the University of Manchester, said in a letter posted on The British Medical Journal Internet site.

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When Propecia hit pharmacy shelves this year, it brought to the balding population a huge promise–and plenty of questions. Here are the facts about the first and only hair regrowth pill.

Does it work? Propecia (generic name finasteride) shows great promise for men. In clinical trials of 1,879 balding men, more than 80% of those taking Propecia experienced no hair loss during the two year period–even better, 66% showed hair regrowth. In some men, results were seen in three months, but it may take longer. (more…)

A short-acting version of a drug used to treat depression helps alleviate premature ejaculation in those severely affected by the condition, improving sexual satisfaction for both the men and their female partners, U.S. researchers say. Their multicentre study of more than 2,600 men with the problem found the experimental drug dapoxetine increased time before ejaculation during sexual intercourse by three to four times, depending on the dose. (more…)

Q. What pharmacological agents are available for male pattern baldness?

A. Male pattern baldness (MPB) is an extremely common condition. Hair loss in males may begin in the late teens or early 20s, and, by the age of 35 to 40, approximately 66% of male Caucasians will display some degree of hair loss. It is a familial condition and has genetic and hormonal etiologies. Typical presentation includes hair loss beginning in the lateral frontal areas or over the vertex. It may be extensive, depending on the person’s age at the time of onset. It is now believed that hair loss can be attributed to the action of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a metabolite of testosterone. This metabolic conversion, catalyzed by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, takes place in the scalp. The activity level of 5-alpha reductase has been shown to adversely affect hair follicles and correlate with increased hair loss. (more…)

Contrary to popular wisdom, prostate difficulties need not be an inevitable part aging. Yet, if one looks at the statistics for the benign or malignant enlargement this life-giving male gland, one might come to that conclusion. By age 50, 20% of American men have an enlarge prostate; by 70, it’s 50%; and by 80, over 80%.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that prostate problems can be prevented in most cases through a healthy lifestyle which features a low-fat, nutrient-rich diet. Just as breast cancer is rare in countries where plates are filled with vegetables and whole grains rather than meat and dairy products, so too prostate problems are uncommon in non-western cultures. (more…)