Summary
Recently, some men taking Viagra have had partial, permanent vision loss in either one or both eyes, raising questions about a link between the blindness and Viagra. Many of the men who experienced this loss already had other health problems and the number of cases is still relatively small.
Original source:
http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/103/107205.htm
Details
Fourteen men reportedly have had vision loss while taking the erectile dysfunctionerectile dysfunction drug Viagra, say ophthalmologists at the University of Minnesota.
The men lost only part of their vision.
Most of the affected men had other health problems and the structure of their optic nerve (the nerve that handles vision) raised their risk of the condition.
"The number of cases is extremely small," says Howard Pomeranz, MD, PhD, who details seven of those cases in a new report.
The condition is called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
"The likelihood of this happening in an individual is pretty small.
It's a question of weighing the relative risks," Pomeranz tells WebMD.
He suggests that men taking or considering Viagra might want to check with their doctors about any risks.
Pomeranz adds that he's also heard of three similar cases with another erectile dysfunction drug,erectile dysfunction drug, Cialis.
"I don't know of any with Levitra yet," he tells WebMD.
Viagra has been used by 23 million men, says Daniel Watts, a spokesman for Pfizer, which makes Viagra.
He says that 103 clinical trials of Viagra have not had any reports of NAION.
"We would say that there does not appear to be sufficient evidence to suggest a single identifying association of these events with Viagra therapy," says Watts.
"I have no reason to doubt their statement," says Pomeranz.
Still, he says that problems not seen in clinical trials later show up after a drug has been widely used for some time.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher, author and award-winning journalist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he has created several downloadable courses on survival and preparedness, including his widely-downloaded course on personal safety and self-defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams launched TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also the founder and CEO of a well known email mail merge software developer whose software, 'Email Marketing Director,' currently runs the NaturalNews email subscriptions. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and regularly pursues cycling, nature photography, Capoeira and Pilates. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
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Thursday, April 07, 2005
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