London, June 2 (IANS) A type of pacemaker has been found to improve the libido and sexual performance of men with chronic heart failure, researchers said.
Chronic heart failure (HF) is a common, complex clinical syndrome characterised by fatigue and exercise intolerance. The patients also experience decreased libido and erectile dysfunction (ED).
Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT), which is a type of pacemaker that paces the right and left ventricle, is used to treat patients with HF. Led by Ahmet Vural of Kocaeli University, Turkey, researchers investigated the effects of CRT on libido and ED.
Thirty-one male patients with advanced HF, scheduled for implantation of a CRT device, were included in the study. They were assessed before and six months after CRT.
At the six-month follow-up, 23 patients reported no ED, and only two patients had moderate ED. Severe ED was not found in any patient, according to a Kocaeli statement.
A significant increase in patients with normal libido was found, with 25 men reporting improvement, compared to only three reporting normal libido prior to CRT.
The findings show that CRT results in significant improvement in libido, ED, and sexual performance.
‘Not only does CRT decrease mortality in heart failure patients, it also brings improvement in sexual health to the patient’s life,’ Vural said.
