ABC of Mens Health Blog

The Erection Hardness Scale (EHS), an easy-to-use, four-point scale for erectile dysfunction (ED), provides a reliable measure of erection hardness and an indicator of other health and wellbeing outcomes, according to new data reported at the European Association of Urology.
EHS rates the hardness of erection on a scale of one to four, with four being the maximal score. The language used is simple and direct, so that men with ED can use the scale to assess the severity of their condition and to monitor the impact of treatment. A score of 1 indicates that the penis is larger than normal, but not hard; 2 means the penis is hard, but not hard enough for penetration, 3 means the penis is hard enough for penetration but not completely hard, and 4 indicates that the penis is completely hard and fully rigid.
A new study, SCORE 4 (Scoring Correspondence in Outcomes Related Erectile Dysfunction Treatment on a 4-point Scale), compared ratings on the Erection Hardness Scale with other scales commonly used in clinical trials of ED, including the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). It included 209 men (mean age 52 years) diagnosed with ED who were randomised to sildenafil or placebo, followed by an open-label extension period with flexible-dose sildenafil (50mg or 100mg).
The results showed a nearly linear relationship between EHS ratings and results from other scoring systems. The relationship between the discrete points of the EHS and scores on components of other rating scales, including the IIEF, showed the close correspondence between erection hardness and erectile function, satisfaction with the quality of an erection, the overall sexual experience and emotional well-being in men with ED.
Commenting on the clinical implications of the findings, Professor Herman van Ahlen, Professor of Urology, Klinikum Osnabruck, Muenster University, Germany, said: "These data validate the importance of measuring erection hardness because of its link to other factors."
Professor van Ahlen said that the Erection Hardness Scale provided a simple, effective tool that could be used in clinical practice for assessing patients with ED. buy viagra without prescription He added: "The EHS measures more than just erection hardness. It can also provide an assessment of the other factors associated with this debilitating condition. A patient’s satisfaction with erection hardness has the scope to predict satisfaction with other quality of life measures."
European Association of Urology.
Written by - Susan Mayor
susanmayor@mac.com
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
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Men’s Health News
Images of sexy women tend to whet men’s sexual appetite. But stimulating new research in the Journal of Consumer Research says there’s more than meets the eye.
A recent study shows that men who watched sexy videos or handled lingerie sought immediate gratification-even when they were making decisions about money, soda, and candy.
Authors Bram Van den Bergh, Siegfried DeWitte, and Luk Warlop (KULeuven, Belgium) found that the desire for immediate rewards increased in men who touched bras, looked at pictures of beautiful women, or watched video clips of young women in bikinis running through a park.
"It seems that sexual appetite causes a greater urgency to consume anything rewarding," the authors suggest. Thus, the activation of sexual desire appears to spill over into other brain systems involved in reward-seeking behaviors, even the cognitive desire for money.
"After they touched a bra, men are more likely to be content with a smaller immediate monetary reward," writes Bram Van den Bergh, one of the study’s authors. "Prior exposure to sexy stimuli may influence the choice between chocolate cake or fruit for dessert."
The authors believe the stimuli bring men’s minds to the present as opposed to the future. "The study demonstrates that bikinis cause a shift in time preference: Men live in the here and now when they glance at pictures featuring women in lingerie. That is, men will choose the immediately available rewards and seek immediate gratification after sex cue exposure."
Do all straight men respond the same? Kaufen cialis pillen mastercard Actually, no. Some men are highly responsive to rewards while others are not so sensitive, and the more reward-sensitive men are the impatient ones.
In fact, doing a task designed to inspire financial satisfaction reduced the bikini-inspired impatience, just as feeling full reduces food cravings. Men may want to be aware of bikinis’ effects on their bank accounts and waistlines.

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Men’s Health News
It appears that disrupted rest and activity rhythms are associated with increased mortality rates among older men, according to new University of Minnesota research.
A group of about 3,000 men older than 67, were tested for rest and activity biological rhythms via a wrist device called an actigraph. acheter generic cialis The device tracked participants’ movement, including the peak times of rest and activity, as well as the robustness of the activity for 24 hours a day for an average of about a week between Dec. 2003 and March 2005. As of January 2008, there were 180 deaths in the group, and men who had peak activity times that were the earliest or latest, in comparison with the groups’ average, had a much greater risk of death.
"It’s important to have a regular routine of waking and going to sleep," said Misti Paudel, M.P.H., principal investigator of the study and a member of the School of Public Health. "Waking early, staying up late, and severely disturbed sleep patterns may have a detrimental impact on health in older men, especially since this group was generally in good health. A good night sleep is important."
This is the first study to report strong associations between disturbed rest and activity rhythms and mortality rates in older men, who are still living in their homes (not institutionalized) - however, studies in cancer patients as well as institutionalized Alzheimer’s patients have reported similar findings.
Paudel will be presenting information from the study during the Associated Professional Sleep Societies Conference today in Baltimore, MD.
Lack of sleep can lead to a number of problems in older adults including depression, memory problems, and decreased attentiveness, and also can lead to serious health problems such as an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, Paudel said.
Another key study finding is that men with more robust rest/activity rhythms had much lower mortality rates. Having greater levels of activity during the day and/or lower levels of activity during the night (better sleep quality) are characteristics of robust rhythms.
"From a sleep standpoint, getting a good night’s sleep appears to be important factor for health and longevity for people of all ages, and especially for older adults - where complaints of insomnia and other sleep disturbances are much more common than in younger cohorts," she said. "It is important that anyone who has concerns about their sleep quality should consult their physician."
Future research should examine association with specific causes of death and with health related outcomes, Paudel said. The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging.

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Men’s Health News
The results of research into early testicular cancer has found that a single chemotherapy treatment is just as effective as radiation therapy while much less toxic.
The researchers from St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London have found that for men diagnosed with early-stage seminoma, one of the most common types of testicular cancer, a single dose of the chemotherapy drug carboplatin is an effective treatment.
The study leader Dr. generishe cialis online kaufen mastercard Tim Oliver says testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15 to 45 years and surgery followed by radiation has been the usual treatment.
For the study, 573 patients with testicular cancer were randomly assigned to a single dose of carboplatin given over 1 hour on an outpatient basis while the other 904 were given daily radiotherapy over a 2 or 3 week period.
Dr. Oliver says 5 years later the rate of the cancer reappearing was similar in the two groups - 5 percent in the carboplatin arm and 4 percent in the radiation group.
With both groups the side effects were few but the patients treated with radiation experienced higher levels of moderate to severe lethargy 4 weeks after starting the treatment.
Dr. Oliver says with testicular cancer as with prostate cancer, personal preference regarding treatment is becoming a more important factor in determining what is best for the patient.
He says the study establishes that surgery followed by carboplatin chemotherapy is a safe new alternative for patients who have early-stage seminoma and want a treatment that lasts a shorter period of time.
The research was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago.
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Men’s Health News The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) joined with The Advertising Council today to launch a national public service campaign designed to raise awareness among middle-aged men about the importance of preventive medical testing.
Men are 25 percent less likely than women to have visited the doctor within the past year and are 38 percent more likely than women to have neglected their cholesterol tests (Source: AHRQ Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2005). Furthermore, men are 1.5 times more likely than women to die from heart disease, cancer and chronic lower respiratory diseases (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005).
The new campaign encourages men over 40 to learn which preventive screening tests they need to get and when they need to get them. This campaign complements AHRQ’s existing efforts toward improving the safety and quality of health care and promoting patient involvement in their own health care, including the "Questions are the Answer" campaign launched with the Ad Council in March 2007 and the "Superheroes" Spanish-language campaign launched in March 2008.
"We hope this campaign will inform men about the importance of prevention and show them that they should work with their health care providers to find out what they should do to stay healthy," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D.
The campaign highlights the work of the AHRQ-sponsored U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which is an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention that systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for clinical preventive services. "By taking steps to prevent disease and stay healthy, men can live longer and more productive lives," said Task Force Chair Ned Calonge, M.D., M.P.H. "Prevention is a decision that includes participating in regular physical activity, eating a healthy diet and finding out which preventive medical tests are right for you."
Created pro bono for the Ad Council by McCann Erickson Detroit, the public service advertising campaign includes new television, radio, print and Web advertising featuring the theme "Real Men Wear Gowns." The lighthearted ads incorporate family as a key motivating factor for men to take a more active role in preventive health. They show the target audience that being a real man means taking care of themselves (and their health) in order to be there for their families and in the future. Ad Council research showed this was a strong motivating factor for men. To view the PSAs, visit
"Our research conducted during the development of this campaign found that despite their increased health risks men aren’t taking preventive steps and are often only visiting their doctors when they experience symptoms," said Peggy Conlon, President & CEO of the Ad Council. "We are proud to continue our initiative with AHRQ with this wonderful series of PSAs designed to motivate men to take a more active role in their preventive health care.
The campaign encourages men to visit a comprehensive Web site. The site provides the recommended ages for preventive testing (as well as a list of tests), a quiz designed to test your knowledge of preventive health care, tips for talking with your doctor, a glossary of consumer health terms, and links to online resources where you can find more medical information.
Public service advertisements are being distributed to approximately 33,000 media stations nationwide this week. Per the Ad Council’s donated media model, all of the new public service advertisements will air and run in advertising time and space donated by the media.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality () is part of the U.S. generic cipro online buy Department of Health and Human Services. AHRQ’s mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. AHRQ’s research helps people make more informed decisions and improve the quality of health care services.
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.

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