Cialis effective for men with spinal cord injury

Cialis effective for men with spinal cord injury
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A long-acting drug for erectiledysfunction is safe and effective for men with spinal cordinjuries who have difficulty achieving erections, a new studyshows.
A total of 186 men were randomly assigned to receivetreatment with Cialis or placebo for 12 weeks. The study wascompleted by 129 in the treatment group and by 34 in theplacebo group. The subjects, who were an average of 38 yearsold, had experienced erectile dysfunction for six months orlonger. They were instructed to take the drug when they plannedto have sex.
Nearly 85 percent of men given Cialis (know generically astadalafil) said the drug improved their erections comparedwith19.5 percent of men given placebo. Another 78.5 percentsaid it improved their ability to engage in sexual activityversus just 14.6 percent of those on placebo. Specifically, themen on the active drug reported significantly more successfulpenetration and intercourse attempts. The most common sideeffects were headache and urinary tract infection.
"On-demand treatment with tadalafil...may help improve thesex lives of patients with erectile dysfunction and spinal cordinjury and their partners," Dr. Francois Giuliano of RaymondPoincare Hospital, Garches, France and colleagues conclude inthe study, published in the Archives of Neurology.
Just one in four men with a spinal cord injury can achieveerections adequate for intercourse on their own, theresearchers point out. Cialis, which like Levitra and Viagrabelongs to the class of drugs known as oral phosphodiesterase 5inhibitors that are the first-line treatment for erectiledysfunction, has shown promise in treating the condition in menwith spinal cord injury.
Tadalafil is effective for a longer period of time thanViagra and Levitra, and unlike the shorter-acting drugs, itdoes not interact with fatty foods, Giuliano and colleaguesnote.
This may offer men with spinal cord injury and theirpartners a "more natural sexual experience," they add. "Hence,tadalafil may be the agent of choice for spinal cord injurypatients who do not want to plan their sexual activity aroundmedication dosing," the researchers conclude.
SOURCE: Archives of Neurology, November 2007.