By ROGER DOBSON
A NEW injection has been shown to help six out of ten men with erectile dysfunction.
Results from a clinical trial in Germany show that 58 per cent of men responded to the injections given four times a year – of a drug containing castor oil and an active compound called testosterone undecanoate.
Once injected into muscle in the buttocks, the castor oil helps to slow down the action of the male hormone compound so that its effects last longer.
If pure testosterone was injected it would last only a few minutes. This injection is a form of testosterone with fatty acids that make it last much longer.
The castor oil ensures it is gradually absorbed so that levels remain steady, and do not peak and dip. ‘It is a very good preparation, and it works well,’ says Dr Malcolm Carruthers, president of the Society for the Study of Androgen Deficiency.
Production of testosterone declines with age. The injection is designed to replace it in the body to treat a condition known as hypogonadism, caused by a lack of the male sex hormone.
Symptoms can include impotence, infertility, low sex drive, tiredness and depressive moods. Erectile dysfunction is estimated to affect one in ten men, with between five and six million men suffering in the UK.
It is also estimated that half of men aged over 50 have some kind of problem related to erectile dysfunction, which is linked to diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Testosterone has been available as daily creams, gels and patches, but it is thought that many men would prefer to have injections that would be given less often.
Testosterone is increasingly used for a number of different health problems. In a trial in Houston, Texas, men with low testosterone levels and mild Alzheimer’s disease are being given testosterone to see if it improves their mental ability.
It may enable them to get around without getting lost or injured, which could have a positive impact on both patients and those who care for them.
The hormone is also being used to treat men with angina in a trial at Sheffield University. ‘We have shown that testosterone replacement therapy improved exercise duration on the treadmill,’ researchers said. They found that men with lower testosterone levels benefited most.
Approximately 25 per cent of men with heart disease have low levels of the hormone.
Another use for testosterone is for hip fractures. These are common among older women and can remove their independence.
In a trial at Washington University, women are being given the male hormone after a hip fracture. Researchers believe it may increase their bone health, and therefore their strength and mobility.
(c) 2007 Daily Mail; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
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