Propionyl-L-carnitine, L-arginine and niacin have value in erectile dysfunction. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Propionyl-L-carnitine, L-arginine and niacin in sexual medicine: a nutraceutical approach for erectile dysfunction.
Andrologia. 2011 Oct 4. Epub 2011 Oct 4. PMID: 21966881
Department of Experimental Medicine, Pathophysiology Section, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; INSERM U1060, CarMeN Laboratory, University Lyon, Lyon, France.
The application of nutraceuticals in the field of male sexual function -in particular for erectile dysfunction (ED) - remains relatively under-explored. In a group of 54 unselected men (35-75 years), consecutively presenting to our ED clinic and naive to other ED treatments, we carried out a single-blind, one-arm study to evaluate the effects of a 3-month supplementation with propionyl-L-carnitine, L-arginine and niacin on their sexual performance. All patients had the short-international index of erectile function (IIEF) questionnaire, global assessment questions (GAQs) and routine laboratory testing, at baseline and 3 months afterward. 51 (92%) patients of 54 completed the entire study period. After 3 months of treatment, a small, but statistical significant improvement intotal and single items of the IIEF was found (Δ = 5.7 ± 4.1 P < 0.01). Analyses on GAQs revealed that treatment improved erections in 40% of cases, with a partial response occurring in up to 77% of enrolled subjects. These preliminary findings indicate that the favourable cardiovascular effects of nutraceuticals might also reflect on male sexual function withpossible implication in the treatment and prevention of ED. This study documents a considerable patients' interest toward nutritional supplementation - as first-line or adjunctive treatment to PDE5 inhibitors - that goes beyond the measurable increment in penile rigidity.