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ANTIPLATELET treatment with aspirin could be a new treatment option for vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (VED), particularly for men with a high mean platelet volume (MPV), according to investigators.
In a prospective randomized doubleblind placebo-controlled study, Zeki Bayraktar, MD, and Selami Albayrak, MD, of Istanbul Medipol University in Turkey, found that therapy with 100 mg/day of aspirin for 6 weeks was associated with significant improvement in erectile function compared with placebo among men with VED and a high MPV.
"Large platelets are metabolically and enzymatically more active than small platelets and produce more thromboxane, known as the most potent vasoconstrictor agent," the investigators explained.
Some recently published studies have found a relationship between high MPV values and VED, but no previous study has examined the efficacy of antiplatelet therapy on VED, they noted.
The investigators evaluated erectile function using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-EF) and 2 yes-or-no questions on the Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP) instrument: SEP2 ("Were you able to insert your penis into partner's vagina?") and SEP3 (Did your...