Cycling Helps

Bicycling has a significantly positive effect in treating sexual dysfunction in men with chronic heart failure, according to a report presented at the American Heart Association this month.   Researchers found that cycling acted as a medical therapy, improving both sexual function and the patient's overall quality of life.

Researchers tested 59 men in their mid-to-late 50s, all of whom had stable chronic heart failure caused by ischemic heart disease, a condition that can cause blood vessel damage which impedes the flow of blood to the penis and the ability to produce an erection. None of the study subjects had prostate disease, another frequent cause of sexual dysfunction.  Thirty of the patients used exercise bikes, three times a week for a forty minute period after a twenty minute warm-up consisting of stretching exercises.  Twenty-nine did not exercise at all.  

After eight weeks researchers found that those that hadn't exercised showed no change in their quality of life or sexual dysfunction whilst those that had, showed dramatic improvements.  Their oxygen intake was up by 18%, and tests scores on their questionnaires showed that their sex life had improved by 76%.  This improvement was  reflected reflected in the questionnaire scores of their partners which had increased by 97%.

Usually heart failure patients take prescription drugs containing nitrates but this means they are unable to take drugs such as Viagra, because of a potentially lethal interaction between the two which can cause very low blood pressure and cardiocirculatory shock.  This study shows that there are other alternatives, and cheap natural alternatives to improve sexual dysfunction in heart failure patients. 

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