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Australia

"Viagra improves urinary symptoms"

Source: NineMSN

Published: 22 Nov 2005

Category: Pharmaceutical

Rating: (1½ stars)

what they said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

Treatment with Viagra (sildenafil) can improve urinary tract symptoms in men with erectile dysfunction and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common disease in older men that involves urinary symptoms due to enlargement of the prostate gland.

The original article can be found at: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=73495

how did it rate? (more information)

Criteria	Rating
Total Score	2 of 9
Novelty of Treatment	Satisfactory (?)
Availability of Treatment	Not Satisfactory (?)
Treatment Options	Not Applicable
Disease Mongering	Not Satisfactory (?)
Evidence	Satisfactory (?)
Quantification of Benefits of Treatment	Not Satisfactory (?)
Harms of Treatment	Not Satisfactory (?)
Costs of Treatment	Not Satisfactory (?)
Sources of Information	Not Satisfactory (?)
Relies on Press Release	Not Satisfactory (?)

what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

Although the story is of interest and is easy to read it does not score well. Credit is due to the writer for including fact that this trial was sponsored by the manufacturer of the drug under study. However this makes it even more desirable to include a comment from a local expert and, unfortunately, this was not done. The story describes the study methods but does not provide any quantification of the benefits claimed, providing only a quote from the investigator that "... improvement in urination ... is dramatic". This is a meaningless statement. Before they can justify their claim to "hit two birds with one stone" we need to see some solid evidence.The article could be construed as disease mongering since both erectile dysfunction and BPH coexist increasingly as men age - a natural consequence of the aging process. There is no mention of costs or of side effects.

public forum

(08 May 2009) ron thomas writes,

"If able to improve urinary problems associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia - could it be possible that viagra induced blood flow to the region would assist pelvic floor contractions in cases of post radical prostatectomy incontinence?"

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