title: Medical management of erectile dysfunction in aging males: is it too late to treat?
abstract: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common disorder among aging males. However, most aging males refuse to seek medical help and believe that ED is an irreversible event in the aging process. The purpose of this study was to describe the current medical management of ED in aging males and to examine whether it is too late to treat this disorder in these elderly men. From 2007 to 2008, 4507 patients diagnosed with ED were gathered from 46 centers in China; 4241 completed the study, 3837 of whom were treated with sildenafil. The 3837 patients were divided into five groups based on age (group A: 20-30 years; group B: 31-40 years; group C: 41-50 years; group D: 51-60 years; and group E: >60 years). After comparing pre- and posttreatment International Index of Erectile Function-Erectile Function domain (IIEF-EF) questionnaires, Erection Hardness Scale (EHS), and IIEF Q13 ("How satisfied have you been with your overall sex life?"), we discovered that the aging males had worse erectile function, erection hardness, and sexual satisfaction than the younger males (P < 0.001). After treatment, the improvement rates in the IIEF-EF, EHS, and IIEF Q13 scores were 107.0%, 83.1%, and 116.5%, respectively. The magnitude of these changes demonstrated significant differences among groups (P < 0.001). Accordingly, aging males are likely to benefit more from medical treatment. We propose that aging males should be informed that age is not a limiting factor for medical ED management, and it is never too late to treat.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: De-Feng
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ji-Chuan
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011687:Purines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate