A new UBC study has found that people who regularly take erectile dysfunction (SD) drugs such as Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and Stendra are 85 percent more likely to develop one of the three serious eye conditions. Conditions include serous retinal detachment (SRD), retinal vascular occlusion (RVO) and ischemic optic neuropathy (ION). There are currently no warnings about the potential risk of SRD and RVO. UBC researchers analyzed the health insurance claims of 213,000 American men who had not experienced these eye conditions in the year before they started taking ED drugs. Although the links had previously been investigated through anecdotal studies, an epidemiological study, recently published in JAMA Ophthalmologyalso confirmed a link between two of the three diseases with drugs for SD. “These are rare conditions and the risk of them occurring remains very low for each individual user. However, the huge number of prescriptions given each month in the US – about 20 million – means that a significant number of people could be affected.” said Dr. Mahyar Etminan, an associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Optical Sciences at UBC Medical School. “Regular users of these drugs who find any changes in their vision should take this seriously and seek medical help.” It is important to note that the study shows a statistical correlation based on the analysis of the claims and does not prove that the drugs cause eye diseases. “These drugs treat erectile dysfunction by improving blood flow, but we know they can also block blood flow to other parts of the body,” Etminan said. “Therefore, although our study does not prove the cause and effect, there is a mechanism by which these drugs could lead to these problems. “All the evidence shows a strong link.”
title: “Can Ed Medication Cause Sever Eye Conditions " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-16” author: “Roberto Tarnowski”
A new UBC study has found that people who take regular erectile dysfunction (SD) medications such as Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and Stendra have an 85% increased risk of developing one of the three serious eye conditions. Conditions include serous retinal detachment (SRD), retinal vascular occlusion (RVO) and ischemic optic neuropathy (ION). There are currently no warnings about the potential risk of SRD and RVO. UBC researchers analyzed the health insurance claims of 213,000 American men who had not experienced these eye conditions in the year before they started taking ED drugs. Although the links had previously been investigated through anecdotal studies, an epidemiological study, recently published in JAMA Ophthalmologyalso confirmed a link between two of the three diseases with drugs for SD. “These are rare conditions and the risk of them occurring remains very low for each individual user. However, the huge number of prescriptions given each month in the US – about 20 million – means that a significant number of people could be affected.” said Dr. Mahyar Etminan, an associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Optical Sciences at UBC Medical School. “Regular users of these drugs who find any changes in their vision should take this seriously and seek medical help.” It is important to note that the study shows a statistical correlation based on the analysis of the claims and does not prove that the drugs cause eye diseases. “These drugs treat erectile dysfunction by improving blood flow, but we know they can also block blood flow to other parts of the body,” Etminan said. “Therefore, although our study does not prove the cause and effect, there is a mechanism by which these drugs could lead to these problems. “All the evidence shows a strong link.”
