Giving a man a one-off jab of his blood could be a new treatment for erectile dysfunction. In a recent study, researchers gave the injection to men undergoing shockwave therapy - already used to help those with erectile dysfunction (ED) – and found it significantly increased its effectiveness. Six weeks after having the combination treatment, the men, some of whom had had ED for up to 19 years, reported that their sexual performance scores almost doubled on average, compared with just 25 per cent for those having only the shockwave therapy.
ED is usually the result of blood vessels supplying the penis becoming narrower, so there’s insufficient blood flow to achieve an erection. This can occur as a result of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, for example. The first-line treatment is with drugs such as sildenafil (brand name Viagra), which improves blood flow to the penis.
But around a third of men find these drugs don’t help. They are also not suitable for men who take heart medication that dilates blood vessels (as blood pressure could drop too low, for instance). Shockwave therapy where painless shockwaves are fired into the penis – is thought to help repair damaged tissue and blood vessels: It isn’t offered on the NHS but is available at private clinics.
A review in The American Journal of Men’s Health in 2022 found the treatment worked best for moderate cases. In the new trial, 160 men were either given two sessions of shockwave therapy weekly for six weeks or.