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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Older Men Unaware of Erectile Dysfunction Link to
Problems Such as High Blood Pressure
'Check Men's Facts' campaign
urges men see doctor
June 9, 2006 - A new national survey of U.S. men
ages 35 and older showed that approximately 8 of every 10 men who have
high blood pressure (hypertension or HTN) (82%) were not aware of its
connection to erectile dysfunction (ED), and many were unaware of the
connection between ED and other medical conditions that commonly affect
men, such as high cholesterol (86%) and diabetes (73%).
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"These are important findings for the millions of
men in the U.S. who suffer from hypertension, high cholesterol, and
diabetes, as any of these medical conditions can lead to erectile
dysfunction," said Dr. Matt Rosenberg, medical director at Mid- Michigan
Health Centers in Jackson, MI.
"In my clinical experience, men often feel more
comfortable visiting the doctor for a condition like hypertension. If
more men understood the link between these medical conditions, which are
treatable, they might have an easier time talking to their doctor,"
The survey found that nearly half (44%) of men 35
and older said they would be more likely to talk to their doctors about
ED if they were informed about its connection to other conditions such
as hypertension, high cholesterol or diabetes.
Results from the national
survey further showed that men and physicians might not always be
speaking the same language when discussing men's health. In fact,
although a majority of physicians were aware that diabetes (100%),
hypertension (88%) and high cholesterol (66%) may lead to ED, most men
said they were unaware of the link at the time of diagnosis with the
respective conditions.
To address this lack of knowledge and
communication, the Men's Health Network has partnered with
GlaxoSmithKline and Schering-Plough to launch "Check Men's Facts," a
program to raise awareness of the link between ED and other common
medical conditions and to improve communication between patients and
their physicians.
The program also includes an informational, user-
friendly Web site (http://www.checkmensfacts.com/),
which men can visit in the privacy of their home for information about
common risk factors for ED. The site answers frequently asked questions
by men experiencing changes in their erectile function and offers tips
to help alleviate some of the anxiety men often feel during an in-person
doctor's visit.
"Better communication between a man and his doctor
can lead to better health care," said Dr. Jean Bonhomme, Men's Health
Network. "Enhancing that communication starts with an understanding of
medical conditions common to men, as well as their risk factors. Check
Men's Facts provides information that men need to arm themselves for a
productive visit with their physician, in an easily understandable
format."
According to the survey, the majority of physicians
and men agree that better communication is considered necessary: 75
percent of physicians admitted that better communication about ED with
their patients is needed and 71 percent of men say that they would
welcome it.
Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is the consistent or
recurrent inability to attain and/or maintain an erection sufficient for
sexual performance. Approximately 152 million men worldwide and up to 30
million men in the United States suffer from ED. The condition is more
common and treatable than people realize.
It is estimated that some
degree of ED affects more than half of all men over 40 years of age. 8.7
million American men have diabetes, 29.4 million have high blood
pressure and 50.4 million have high cholesterol. These conditions, even
when controlled by medication, may still cause changes in blood flow, a
critical component of healthy erectile function.
Additional information regarding erectile
dysfunction, the Check Men's Facts educational campaign, and the new
national survey can be accessed online at
http://www.checkmensfacts.com/.
About Men's Health Network
The Men's Health Network (MHN) is a nonprofit
educational organization comprised of physicians, researchers, public
health workers, individuals, and other health professionals. MHN is
committed to improving the health and wellness of men through education
campaigns, partnerships with retailers and other private entities,
workplace health programs, data collection, and work with health care
providers to provide better programs and funding for men's health needs.
Click here to visit their Web site:
http://www.menshealthnetwork.org.
You can also learn more by visiting
mensfacts.com. There you will find an educational brochure that
explains how certain health conditions may lead to ED. You can also
download a Doctor Discussion Guide to help you talk to your doctor about
ED.
Survey Information
Harris Interactive(R) conducted this online survey on behalf of
Schering- Plough and GlaxoSmithKline between October 3 and 12, 2005
among 1,342 U.S. men age 35+, 102 U.S. primary care physicians, 100 U.S.
urologists and 100 U.S. endocrinologists. The national data for men age
35+ were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. population of
adult men ages 35+ on the basis of education, age, race/ethnicity,
region, income and propensity to be online.
About Schering-Plough
Schering-Plough is a global science-based health care company with
leading prescription, consumer and animal health products. Through
internal research and collaborations with partners, Schering-Plough
discovers, develops, manufactures and markets advanced drug therapies to
meet important medical needs. Schering-Plough's vision is to earn the
trust of the physicians, patients and customers served by its 32,000
people around the world. The company is based in Kenilworth, N.J., and
its Web site is
http://www.schering-plough.com/.
About GSK
GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading research-based
pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, is committed to improving the
quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and
live longer.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/),
based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the
fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for
The Harris Poll(R) and for its pioneering leadership in the online
market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering
insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends
the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting
to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value.
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