Medtronic tests stent for erectile dysfunction

(Reuters) -

Medtronic Inc, a manufacturer of pacemakers, heart stents and spine products, has developed a device to tackle another common health problem: erectile dysfunction.

The medical device maker said it completed an initial feasibility study of 30 men, average age of 60, who suffered from erectile dysfunction (ED), each of whom had a stent -- a tiny wire mesh tube similar to those used to prop open heart arteries -- which was placed in the internal pudendal artery, which supplies blood to the penis.. After three months the results were promising, the company said.

Researcher Dr. Jason Rogers said up to 50 percent of men discontinue drug therapy -- which includes Viagra, Levitra and Cialis -- either because it did not work or because they could not tolerate side effects, including lowering of blood pressure.

Rogers noted that there were no adverse events reported by participants in the trial up to three months later, but heacknowledged that risks may become evident much later and stressed that the stenting procedure is still investigational and requires more research.

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Medtronic tests stent for erectile dysfunction

Male breast cancer rare, but can be aggressive

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -

Men get diagnosed with breast cancer at less than one percent the rate of women, according to a new analysis of cancer rates from six cities and countries.

But when they did get breast cancer, men were caught with more advanced disease, on average, and were more likely to die from it.

Men are most commonly in their 60s or 70s when diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Radiation exposure and diseases that increase estrogen levels - such as liver cirrhosis or Klinefelter syndrome, a genetic disorder - are among factors that raise a man's risk.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force, a federally-supported panel that sets guidelines for cancer screening, does not recommend regular breast cancer screening in men without symptoms.

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Male breast cancer rare, but can be aggressive