Erectile dysfunction could be treated with radio waves, study suggests
Men experiencing difficulties in the bedroom could improve their sex lives without medication by having radio-wave treatment, a study suggests.
Researchers said the treatment had the potential to reverse erectile dysfunction within four to six weeks, meaning men and their partners could enjoy a spontaneous sex life without having to rely on drugs such as Viagra.
Men who regularly used a radiofrequency device, which emits electromagnetic waves into genital tissues, experienced significant improvements in function after two months, a pilot study found.
The development brings hope for men experiencing problems getting or maintaining an erection. It is thought around half of men aged between 40 and 70 have the condition to some degree.
Many of those experiencing the issue take sildenafil (more commonly known by its brand name Viagra) to trigger an erection. But as it typically works best when taken on an empty stomach around four hours before having sex, some patients dislike the fact that spontaneity is difficult.
Raising the temperature
Unlike medication that is taken in order to have intercourse, treatment with radio waves could help return men’s sexual function to normal levels.
Electromagnetic waves slightly raise the temperature in body tissues to 41 to 43C. It is thought this triggers collagen fibres to undergo structural changes, encouraging the rebuilding of collagen and tissue fibres that naturally deteriorate with age.
Researchers believe this process helps boost tissues that “trap” the blood supply in the penis that is needed to maintain erections.
The same technology is used in treatements to reduce wrinkles and boost collagen, and it has also been used to treat symptoms of vaginal pain and dryness in women going through menopause – although researchers are divided on whether it helps these symptoms.
A similar concept, shockwave therapy, using low-energy sound waves, is already used for treating erectile dysfunction in some private UK clinics.
For the latest research, published in the International Journal of Impotence Research, Israeli researchers asked 28 men aged between 41 and 78 with erectile dysfunction to use a radiofrequency device called Vertica.
The device, which can be bought online and retails at £1,500, stimulates tissues in the penis with electromagnetic waves via a ring of electrodes and a pad placed in the perineum area (between the anus and testes).
Participants used it for 30 minutes twice a week for a month, then once a week for a month.
Significant improvements
When the study began, only 13 of the men were able to have penetrative sex. When it ended, this had risen to 24 out of the 28.
Overall, significant improvements were seen in all factors related to getting and maintaining erections, except for “sexual desire”, which saw no significant change.
In total, 14 out of the 28 men had regained sexual function to levels considered “normal” after two months.
The men reported the device caused no side effects and the treatment caused a “pleasant, warm sensation”. A follow-up study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, found the effects of the two-month treatment period were still lasting six months later.
Lead author Professor Ilan Gruenwald, head of the neuro-urology unit and sexual dysfunction clinic at the Rambam medical centre in Israel, said the device could lead to a “new concept” of “penis rehabilitation”, where patients focused on maintaining function rather than just treating symptoms.
The small-scale pilot trial, which was funded by product manufacturer Ohh-Med, did not compare the product against a placebo device.
Researchers said further studies were needed to establish whether the benefits observed were caused by the device or were a placebo effect, and which patients would most benefit.
Commenting on the study, Fabio Castiglione, consultant urologist and andrologist at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said the “revolutionary idea” could be “life-changing” for men with the condition. “There is still more research to be done but all the signs are that [this] is a great treatment device,” he added.
But other experts said it was too soon to know whether the device was safe or effective.
‘Be careful’
Erectile dysfunction specialist Hussain Alnajjar, an NHS and private consultant urological surgeon and andrologist, said: “I would urge patients to be careful about paying a lot of money and using this device at home as there is so much we still don’t know about this treatment.
“Although the idea behind it does sound exciting and there were no side effects reported in this very small-scale study, we don’t know what any long-term side effects might be.
“We also don’t know whether it would be best for patients to have more or fewer treatments than were tested in this study as that has not been established.”
He said patients should always be properly assessed by a specialist so the root cause of their issue can be diagnosed. Erectile dysfunction can be a symptom of more serious health problems, such as heart conditions.
