The erectile dysfunction
drug Viagra, and possibly other similar medications, may prompt
long-term
hearing loss among users, a new study suggests.
In the May 18 issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head
and
Neck Surgery, researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham
discuss evidence supporting an association between the onset of hearing
problems and Viagra. The medication is one of the so-called class of
phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5i), which also includes Cialis
and Levitra.
The finding follows the 2007 decision by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration to adjust labeling for such medications to more
prominently
display warnings about hearing loss risks. The move stemmed from reports
that year regarding sudden
hearing loss among users of these drugs.
"It appears from these findings that the current
government warning
regarding hearing loss and the use of PDE-5i medications is warranted,"
study author Gerald McGwin, a professor of epidemiology
in the University
of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, said in a news
release.
"Though there are limitations to this study, it is prudent that patients
using these medications be warned about the signs and symptoms
of hearing
impairment and be encouraged to seek immediate medical attention
to
potentially forestall permanent damage."
The finding stems from an analysis of survey data
concerning more than
11,500 men over the age of 40 that had been collected by the federal
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
between 2003 and 2006.
McGwin and his team found that men who said they used
PDE-5i drugs had
twice the risk for developing hearing loss as those who did not.
The authors stressed that more research is needed,
while suggesting
that one possible explanation could lie in the
original purpose of these
medications. They note that although now used mainly for erectile
dysfunction, this class of drugs was initially prescribed for the
treatment of pulmonary high
blood pressure.
"PDE-5i medications work in erectile dysfunction
patients by their
ability to increase blood
flow to certain tissues in the body," said
McGwin. "It has been hypothesized that they may have a similar effect on
similar tissues in the ear, where an increase of blood flow could
potentially cause damage leading to hearing loss."