Prospective controlled study of the acute effect of nicotine smoking on pharmaco erection tests

ABSTRACT

To detect the effect of nicotine smoking on pharmacoerection test, patients complaining of erectile dysfunction were screened. Those complaining from organic impotence were excluded from the study. Only those with data and signs suggesting of psychogenic or situational impotence, most likely to respond to pharmacologically induced erection, were included. One hundred forty nine patients were categorized into 4 groups non smokers, smokers, smokers prohibited from smoking and the smokers not prohibited from smoking who repeated the test after with holding smoking. Each patient was injected intra- cavernouslly with a vaso-active drug mixture and the response was assessed up to two hours afterwards. Non smokers showed more significant response [94.64%] than those who smoked immediately prior to the test [41.67%] [p <0.0001], also, smokers prohibited from smoking showed more significant response [86.67/0] than the later [p <0.0001]. On the other hand, smokers who repeated the test after withdrawing smoking for 24 hours showed significant difference in response. Non smokers and smoker subjects with holding smoking did not show any statistically significant difference in results [p >0.05]. This is probably due to the initial selection of subjects who excluded from the start the nicotine chronically affected patients. These findings confirm that nicotine smoking interferes with the erectile response of vaso-active drugs and that nicotine withdrawal for 24 hours increases the test reliability