Specialists at HMC urge timely treatment for ED
Publish Date: Saturday,22 July, 2006, at 11:38 AM Doha Time
By Bonnie James
Dr al-Ansari and Dr Shamsodini
TIMELY treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED), estimated to affect one tenth of the male population in the region, could save the families concerned from a host of problems including divorce, two experts at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) have stated.
“Our message to those who suffer from ED is that they are not being fair to their wife if they hide it, especially when there are highly effective treatment options,” head of urology, Dr Abdulla al-Ansari, and specialist, Dr Ahmed Shamsodini told Gulf Times in an interview.
As of 2004, it is estimated that approximately 189mn men worldwide have ED.
It is believed that 80 to 90% of ED cases are related to a physical or medical condition, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and prostate disease, while 10 to 20% are due to psychological causes.
In many cases, however, both psychological and physical factors contribute to the condition.
“Though there is a gradual increase in the number of people who seek treatment for ED, we strongly believe only about 10% of the affected do so,” Dr al-Ansari and Dr Shamsodini maintained.
Ashamed to disclose he has ED, a typical individual would initially try over-the-counter medication, and when it does not work, deliberately delay going home by citing some excuse or other so that he reaches well after his wife is asleep.
“This could go on for some months, or as in some cases for several years, till he finally decides to seek medical assistance,” they said.
Given that the risk of having ED is 4.1 times more for diabetics, the HMC experts feel that there would be a substantial number of ED patients in Qatar, especially since the incidence of diabetes is high in the country.
International Obesity TaskForce Chairman Prof W Philip T James had told Gulf Times in December 2003 that “one in three Qatari adults either has diabetes or glucose intolerance, a condition that dramatically predisposes them to develop diabetes in the next few years.”
The main hurdle in treating ED is that patients seek medical help only three or four years after the onset of the disease. “Or as in some cases we have come across, they come for consultation after suffering for 10 years,” recalled Dr Shamsodini.
On an average, about 20 patients, including new and follow-up cases, report a day to the weekly-twice ED clinic at HMC.
Prostate disease, peripheral vascular disease, cardiac problems, high cholesterol, and hypertension are the other major risk factors for ED.
Central obesity is yet another physiological cause for ED as it could destroy testosterone, the male hormone.
Stress and depression are also known to cause ED temporarily.
“Some patients don’t tell us directly that they have ED, because of shame, and instead give us vague descriptions till we finally diagnose the problem as ED,” observed Dr al-Ansari.
The Urology Department in HMC plans to conduct the first-ever comprehensive study in Qatar on ED shortly, Dr al-Ansari and Dr Shamsodini said.
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