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Impotent Patients on Valsartan Find Increased Interest in Sex; Use Sildenafil More Often: Presented at ASH

By Ed Susman

NEW YORK, NY -- May 19, 2002 -- Hypertensive patients with erectile dysfunction who are taking the angiotensin II receptor blocker valsartan find they have increased sexual desire, and that increase is documented by increased use of sildenafil pills, researchers reported.

"We have known from past studies that patients on valsartan say they have greater sexual desires," said Roberto Fogari, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Pavia, Italy, "but we actually counted the use of sildenafil pills they used which shows the increase." He presented his findings here yesterday at the 17^th annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension.

Dr. Fogari compared the use of sildenafil among 38 men mild to moderate hypertensives - diastolic blood pressure between 90 and 105 mmHg. They were all aged between 46 and 65 years and able to have an erection only with sildenafil. Study participants were given either 160 mg of valsartan or 20 mg of lisinopril daily in a double-blind crossover manner. The patients were on each antihypertensive medication for 16-week periods.

"These were men who could only achieve an erection with sildenafil. We assume that because they were increasing their use of sildenafil that their sexual desire increased," he said. Dr. Fogari said the researchers only accumulated information on the number of tablets used-not on the number of intercourse attempts.

The men who were receiving valsartan began to increase use of sildenafil from a baseline of about 2.5 pills a week after about eight weeks of therapy. By the end of the 16 weeks of treatment they were using 5.5 pills a week. However, he said, when the patients were on lisinopril there was no increase in use of the sildenafil.

The patients were given four weeks of placebo to measure the antihypertensive effect of the drugs. At baseline before the lisinopril administration, patients had an average blood pressure of 161/100 mmHg. After treatment with lisinopril their blood pressure had fallen to 142/87 mmHg.

Following another four weeks of placebo, again to assess baseline blood pressure, Dr. Fogari reported that blood pressure fell from 160/101 mmHg to 141/87 mmHg while on valsartan treatment.

"Because the use of sildenafil significantly increased with the use of valsartan, it suggests that angiotensin II antagonism induces an increase in sexual desire in impotent hypertensive men," Dr. Fogari said.

"It could be related to the reactive stimulation of angiotensin cascade due to AT1 receptors blockade."

The study was supported by University of Pavia.

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