By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
March 4, 2001
"Sex is not only for Valentines Day" was the message awaiting me when I arrived in London, England. And to drive home the point, the fearless British racing car driver Sir Stirling Moss had just announced that he used erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs. And urged others to seek treatment. So the timing for the 4th International Meeting of the Andropause Society to discuss ED and testosterone couldn't have been better.
Moss had two brushes with ED, the condition that men fear. His first followed a racing car accident in 1962. He refused to see a doctor about it, but met a cute nurse who said, "Don't worry, it will be all right." And it was.
But following an operation for prostate cancer in 2001 not even the consolation of a cute nurse worked. This time Moss went to his doctor and was prescribed Viagra and Cialis. Both were unsuccessfully. But another ED drug, Levitra, suited him perfectly, and now at age 75, he still enjoys sex.
ED affects one million Canadian males and can occur at any age. It results from a variety of problems. Dr. C. E. Williams of Vancouver reported that one in three males over the age of 40 have some degree of impotence and that at 65 years of age 75 percent suffer from ED. Who says these are "the golden years"?
Today many cases of ED are the result of drugs. For instance, few people know that the statin drugs so widely used today to lower blood cholesterol also decrease the production of the male hormone testosterone. Anti-fungal drugs, diuretics, blood pressure medication, cimetidene, marijuana, nicotine and chemotherapy also trigger ED. All told there are 48 drugs that hinder an erection.
Researchers from around the world stressed at the meeting that impotence is often just the tip of the iceberg. And that it should alert physicians to look for other more lethal problems.
Dr. E Shippen, a U.S specialist in testosterone pathology, claimed that those suffering from ED are also usually suffering from low blood testosterone. These men, he claimed, are two to three times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
The presence of ED is also often related to diabetes, a major cause of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). This disease impedes the flow of blood into the penis.
Dr. Malcolm Carruthers, one of the early pioneers of ED and President of The Andropause Society, reported another matter too often overlooked by doctors.
He quoted MaeWest, the sex queeen of long ago, who greeted males with this one-liner, "Is that a gun in your pocket or are you glad to see me?" Carruthers says that all men like to think they have a magic gun ready at all times for the sexual encounter. But that ED drugs, although often extremely effective, do not always give satisfactory results. And when this happens he says men should not give up.
Dr. Carruthers claims the solution in 95 percent of these cases is the simple formula "ED drugs + tetosterone = End of ED".
Carruthers calls testosterone "The Hormone of Kings". It's because he's had great experience treating tycoons and captain's of industry and that 90 percent of these movers- and-shakers are impotent, often needing high doses of testosterone for ED drugs to work.
Luckily most men only need an ED drug to correct the problem and I'm sure Stirling Moss enjoyed Valentine's day using Levitra. But studies show that only 20 percent of men with ED are getting treatment. The message from London is, if you're one of those, bite the bullet, and like Moss see your doctor to find out what ED drug is best for you.
In London I had one chuckle during a lecture on testosterone and ED. The Royal Society building where the meeting was held, is a magnificent structure designed by Sir Christopher Wren. It overlooks the Mall that leads to Buckingham Palace. In the midst of the discussion of testosterone the Royal House Guards suddenly appeared in parade to the Palace. And I wondered how many of red jacketed plumed guards protectors of the queen were suffering from Ed that wasn't being treated! And would they admit it?
W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com
My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:
Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1
Pre-2008 articles by Gifford JonesPursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2024 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2024 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement