Natural polyphenols improve erectile function and lipid profile in patients suffering from erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is characterised as the inability to achieve or maintain an erection to complete sexual intercourse. ED may be considered as an early complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of registered food supplement, natural polyphenolic extract from the French maritime pine bark, Pycnogenol (PYC) on erectile function and lipid profile in ED patients.

53 patients with ED were divided into two groups (32 with DM, 21 non-DM) in randomised, blinded and placebo-controlled study. During 3-month intervention with PYC or placebo and one month after the end of the intervention patients were investigated for ED with validated questionnaire International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5); lipid profile, glycaemia was analysed in each group.

In a randomised, blinded and placebo-controlled study, we found that natural polyphenolic extract, Pycnogenol improved erectile function in DM group by 45 % compared to the NDM group, where the improvement was also significant, but only by 22 %. Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and glucose level was lowered by PYC in patients with DM. Glucose level was not affected by PYC in non-DM. Placebo showed no effect on monitored parameters in both groups.

Administration of Pycnogenol leads in improvement of erectile function in patients with ED and diabetes (DM group) by 45 %, in NDM group by 22 %, in lowering of total-, LDL-cholesterol by 20 % and 21 % and glycaemia by 22 % in DM (Tab. 2, Fig. 2, Ref. 19).