Topic: Viagra users
Some healthy men who have used the Viagra pills say they enable
longer-lasting erections and reduce "refractory time," the interval
between erections.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and physicians say the drugs
are safe for most men if used as directed, except for those taking
nitrates or those in poor cardiovascular health.
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Viagra users are getting younger and younger
Since the first, Viagra, debuted in 1998 to address a physical
problem some men face, it and newer drugs Levitra and Cialis --
the latter produced by Eli Lilly and Co. -- have been used
increasingly by healthy younger men for perceived performance-enhancement
purposes or as psychological life-preservers to alleviate performance anxiety
.
"When Viagra first came out, the whole emphasis was on older men,
with Bob Dole doing the marketing and the age group being around 70,"
says Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, a urologist and associate professor
at Harvard University.
The pills enable some men who have hypertension, diabetes or
prostate problems to get an erection by increasing blood flow to
the penis, provided the brain kicks in with some sexual stimulation.
They don't make people better lovers, instantly mend broken relationships
or enlarge body parts.
The number of men younger than 45 using the drug tripled during that time,
although it is still small compared with the majority of users, who are
older than 50. Pfizer says the average age of men taking it now is about
53, lower than previously, although exact comparisons aren't available.
As of earlier this year, about 8 percent of prescription Viagra users
were age 34 to 40, about 26 percent were in their 40s, 36 percent in their
50s and 22 percent in their 60s, Pfizer's data shows.
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