Question:
Do lipid-lowering drugs cause erectile dysfunction?
Answer:
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is common although under-reported
by patients. Along with the better known causes of ED, drug-induced
impotence needs to be considered as a cause of this symptom.
Lipid-lowering drugs have been prescribed increasingly. Their
relationship to ED is controversial. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to clarify
the relationship between lipid-lowering therapy and ED. A secondary aim
was to assess the value of the systematic review procedure in the area
of adverse drug reactions. METHODS: A systematic review was carried out
using computerized biomedical databases and Internet sources. Terms
denoting ED were linked with terms referring to lipid-lowering drugs.
Information was also sought from regulatory agencies. RESULTS: A
significant literature was identified, much from obscure sources, which
included case reports, review articles, and information from clinical
trials and from regulatory agencies. Information from all of these
sources identified fibrates as a source of ED. A substantial number of
cases of ED as sociated with statin usage have been reported to
regulatory agencies. Case reports and clinical trial evidence supported
the suggestion that statins can also cause ED. Some information on
possible mechanisms was obtained, but the mechanism remains uncertain.
CONCLUSIONS: The systematic review procedure was applied successfully
to collect evidence suggesting that both statins and fibrates may cause
ED. More numerous reports to regulatory agencies complemented more
detailed information from case reports to provide a new perspective on
a common area of prescribing.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&...
