Cialis licence extended to benign prostate enlargement
23 November, 2012 | By The Press Association
Men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can now be prescribed tadalafil (Cialis), it has been announced.
Pharmaceutical maker Lilly has been licenced by the European Commission for the use of tadalafil to treat the symptoms of BPH - also known as benign enlargement of the prostate - having already had a licence to use it for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
The move means doctors now have the option of prescribing a single medication to treat both conditions. Some 3.2 million men in the UK - a third of those aged over 50 - suffer from BPH symptoms while ED affects more than half those aged between 50 and 70. It is estimated some 1.15 million men in the UK are affected by both conditions.
Dr Geoff Hackett, a consultant in urology at Birmingham’s Good Hope Hospital, said it often transpired that patients were suffering with both conditions. He added that the new option would help make “men’s health management easier and more efficient”.
Tadalafil helps increase smooth muscle relaxation which makes the diameter of blood vessels bigger, allowing more blood to flow into the penis, bladder and prostate. It works by inhibiting phosphodiesterase-5, which breaks down cycling GMP in tissues, causing reduced smooth muscle relaxation.
BPH interferes with the normal flow of urine, its symptoms including frequent, hesitant and painful urination as well as urinary retention.
Cialis licence extended to benign prostate enlargement | News | Nursing Times