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UCLA Doctors Offer Ten Steps to Better Erections, a Longer Life and Reversing Erectile Dysfunction (ED) in New Consumer Book Based on Hard Science
ED Can Be a Sign of Other Medical Problems
Los Angeles, CA – After decades of medical research and a Nobel Prize-winning discovery that led to the development of Viagra and other drugs for erectile dysfunction (ED), UCLA researchers offer a safe and effective alternative for erectile and heart health in a new book, Survival of the FIRMEST. The recommendations in the book are based on scholarly reviews of research which have been published in the International Journal of Impotence Research (Nov. 2011), the American Journal of Cardiology (Aug. 2011) and Fertility and Sterility (Dec. 2010).
ED occurs in about 40% of men at age 40 and 70% of men at age 70, with 95% of cases having a likely medical basis, not psychological as previously thought. In 1998, a UCLA researcher shared the Nobel Prize for identifying nitric oxide as the key to erectile and vascular health. Generated through a series of pathways in blood vessels, nitric oxide allows the vessels to relax and penile tissues to become engorged for an erection. Exercise, a healthy diet, Omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants aid nitric oxide production.
“With the aging of baby boomers and our society’s poor eating habits, obesity, infertility and ED are on the rise,” said David Meldrum, MD, clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and lead author. Referring to the ten steps, which include physical activity, diet, weight loss (especially belly fat) and penile specific exercise, Meldrum said: “I’ve seen positive results in my own life and in patients who’ve made similar changes.”
Joseph Gambone, professor emeritus at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and co-author, said: “ED is like a canary in the coal mine, signaling an underlying health problem. A canary with its rapid heart rate can detect toxic gases in a mine very quickly, causing it to fall off its perch. The penis, which contains a collection of specialized blood vessels, can indicate cardiovascular disease when it fails to perform.”
Oxidative stress and inflammation, which are associated with abdominal obesity, diabetes, hypertension and smoking, interrupt nitric oxide production. Omega-3 fatty acids stimulate nitric oxide, reduce inflammatory markers, and stabilize the heart’s rhythm to prevent further vascular damage and sudden cardiac death, which is especially critical for men with ED under age 60, and for men who smoke or have diabetes or coronary artery disease. Patients with existing cardiovascular disease may have greater challenges in adopting the ten steps. But the evidence shows that they can immediately improve their health by starting with initial steps -- exercise, supplements and smoking cessation -- and gradually add steps to lower or eliminate the need for ED medication, and possibly hypertension or heart disease medications. Additional benefits of following the recommendations include reduced risk of certain cancers (e.g. breast, colon and prostate), Alzheimer’s disease and senility.
“While physical health is primary, sexual health is equally important,” said Meldrum. “With our global and natural approach, couples are very likely to find their sex life is far more enjoyable, perhaps even better than at any time in the past.”
Meldrum is a reproductive endocrinologist and clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, and has authored more than one hundred articles, books and book chapters. Gambone is a reproductive endocrinologist and professor emeritus at UCLA Geffen School of Medicine with a master’s of public health degree from the UCLA Shool of Public Health, has authored more than one hundred scientific articles and book chapters, and is executive editor of the fifth edition of Essentials of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Marge Morris, M Ed, Rd, CDE and Claudia Meldrum contributed to the research, book and Web site.
Survival of the FIRMEST, the Erectile Function Web site http://www.erectile-function.com/, and the Ten Steps to Better Erections (attached) were developed for consumers, to encourage healthier lifestyle habits and reduce disease. The literature reviews, which summarize the scientific evidence for the ten steps, will inform, and in some cases, may change accepted medical practice. The three review articles are:
1. International Journal of Impotence Research, November 2011
Lifestyle and metabolic approaches to maximizing erectile function
Authors: David R. Meldrum, M.D., Joseph C. Gambone, D.O., M.P.H., Marge A. Morris, M. Ed., R.D., C.D.E., Katherine Esposito, M.D., Ph.D., Dario Giugliano, M.D., Ph.D., Louis J. Ignarro, Ph.D. [PMID: 22072232]
2. American Journal of Cardiology August, 2011
The Link Between Erectile and Cardiovascular Health: The Canary in the Coal Mine
Authors: David R. Meldrum, M.D., Joseph C. Gambone, D.O., M.P.H., Marge A. Morris, M. Ed., R.D., C.D.E., Donald A. Meldrum, M.D., Katherine Esposito, M.D., Ph.D., Louis J. Ignarro, Ph.D..;108:599-606. [PMID:21624550]
3. Fertility and Sterility, December, 2010
A multifaceted approach to maximizing erectile function and vascular health
Authors: David R. Meldrum, M.D., Joseph C. Gambone, D.O., M.P.H., Marge A. Morris, M. Ed., R.D., C.D.E., Louis J. Ignarro, Ph.D.;94;214-220. [PMID:20522326]
The Sexuality EDucation Network, publisher of Survival of the FIRMEST, was established in 2009 by the authors, a group of medical, health, nutrition and fitness experts, to educate consumers about sexual health, erectile function and cardiovascular health topics.