News - Hypertension Week of August 3, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 31

The antihypertensive drug Diovan® (valsartan) appears to not have the negative impact on sexual function of the diuretics and beat-blockers commonly used to treat high blood pressure, according to a study reported in the August issue of the Journal of Human Hypertension.

Erectile dysfunction among people whose high blood pressure is treated with diuretics and beta-blockers is one of the major reasons why they stop taking their medications.

Researchers at University Hospital in Bern, Switzerland decided to see if valsartan, an AT1-receptor antagonist, alone or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide would have less of a negative impact.

Their study involved 2,202 patients with hypertension whose average age was 54. Their blood pressure was measured at the beginning of the study and after 8 and 16 weeks of treatment.

The frequency that participants engaged in sexual intercourse was assessed with a questionnaire at each of the three visits. While the blood pressure of the participants in all three groups decreased significantly, sexual activity decreased slightly in the conventional therapy group from 1.3 times to 0.9 times per week.

However, sexual activity increased in the valsartan group from an average of one time per week to 1.6 times. Similarly, sexual activity increased in the combination group from an average of 0.9 to 1.3 times per week.

No sexual activity was reported by 21 percent of the 2,002 participants at the beginning of the study, decreasing to 7 percent at the end of 16 weeks of treatment.

"Valsartan increases the rate of sexual intercourses per week, whereas conventional therapy affects sexual activity adversely," concluded the researchers.

Journal of Human Hypertension 2003 Aug;17(8):515-521