Vision problems and blindness could be linked to impotence drugs

• U.S. health officials are investigating rare reports of vision loss among men using the impotence drugs Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.
• But, health experts caution, this type of vision loss also is linked to the same illnesses -- such as diabetes and heart disease -- that can lead to impotence.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday that it had 43 reports of varying degrees of vision loss -- including blindness -- among 38 users of Viagra, four users of Cialis, and one user of Levitra, the Associated Press reported.
• The vision problems seem to be linked to a condition called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, which causes sudden vision loss when blood flow to the optic nerve is blocked.
• For that reason, it may be impossible for the FDA to determine whether the impotence drugs contribute to vision loss, the AP said.
• Five patients had permanent vision loss in one eye and the other patient lost sight in both eyes.
• All of these men had high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol -- again, risk factors for vision loss.
• "It's potentially a serious issue," said Dr. Robert Cykiert, an ophthalmologist at New York University Medical Center and a clinical associate professor at New York University School of Medicine.
• Viagra can cause blood pressure to drop, which may cause insufficient blood flow to the optic nerve, resulting in vision loss, he explained.
• Bar Chama noted that the potential vision problems cited on the labels of these drugs refer to temporary blurred vision or a temporary blue haze, not the permanent effects the FDA is investigating.
• He said that men who take Viagra often have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are also associated with the conditions that can cause blindness.