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A drug that failed to fight the blues could be the female answer to the little blue pill Viagra, the lead North American investigator analyzing tests of the drug said Tuesday. Men with sexual arousal problems have depended on Pfizer's Viagra and its competitors for years now a side-effect from the testing of an anti-depressant may hold hope for a female arousal aid. Women who took the drug flibanserin when it was being tested as an anti-depressant said it didn’t help them beat the glums, but did give them "an increase in libido that they liked," said John Thorp, one of the investigators analyzing data from three clinical trials of the drug.

Lack of desire is the most common sexual problem in women aged 30 to 60, just as erectile dysfunction, for which Viagra is one of a choice of treatments, is the most common sexual disorder among men in the same age bracket, Thorp said. "Where Viagra and other erectile dysfunction medications work in the blood supply, flibanserin works in the brain," he said.

Nearly 2,000 pre-menopausal women were given flibanserin or a placebo for 24 weeks and asked to report back to researchers or make diary entries on six variables, including the number of satisfactory sexual encounters they had and their level of sexual desire.In the light of the women’s reactions to flibanserin, the German drug company that had first tested the drug as a treatment for depression, Boehringer Ingelheim, several years ago began exploring the possibilities of it being the active ingredient in the female answer to Viagra.

The studies found that 100 milligrams a day of flibanserin resulted in "significant improvements" in the two variables. Flibanserin is currently an investigational drug and is only available to women taking part in clinical trials.

(edited by BRAD)

Latest Study says that a tiny metal tube implanted in the pelvis could transform the love lives of men who suffer erection problems.The device, not much bigger than a grain of rice, works by propping open the artery that supplies blood to the genitals.Restricted blood flow to the male sex organs is thought to be a major factor in impotence, or erectile dysfunction.

British doctors hope to carry out the first such implant within the next few months as part of a trial involving up to 30 men.Surgeons will insert a tube-like device called a stent to try to solve the problem.Stents resemble miniature metal 'cages' and are already widely used in the treatment of heart disease, where blood vessels feeding the heart have narrowed.Their success in restoring-blood flow to and from the heart has prompted researchers to investigate whether they might also benefit men who struggle to get an erection even with drugs such as Viagra.

Although Viagra and similar medications, such as Cialis and Levitra,or Generics like Kamagra etc have transformed the treatment of impotence in the past ten years, around 30 per cent of men who take them see no improvement.

It's estimated that half of men over the age of 40 suffer impotence problems from time to time.Potential causes range from diabetes and hormonal problems to stress and depression. But, in recent years, medical attention has focused on the link with heart disease.

Recent evidence suggests blood vessels in the pelvic region can become diseased through poor diet, smoking and lack of exercise, in much the same way as coronary arteries.Indeed, some cardiologists believe erectile problems are a powerful early sign of hidden heart disease, giving up to three years' warning before any other symptoms emerge.

Medtronic Inc., one of the world's biggest medical device firms, has started a stent trial in the U.S. involving 50 men with erectile dysfunction who failed to respond to drugs.Each man will initially be scanned to check for signs of blockages in blood vessels in the pelvic region.

One of the main targets is the iliac artery, which branches off in different directions to transport blood to the lower half of the body.
Once the problem area has been identified, doctors will insert a thin catheter into the artery until the tip has reached the blocked area.On the end of the catheter is the stent, which has been collapsed down to make it easier to manoeuvre.

When it's in position, a tiny balloon is inflated which makes the stent expand until it is wedged into place. The balloon is then withdrawn.But there can be problems with so-called 'bare metal' stents. These can cause the body's healing mechanism to over-react, triggering a build-up of scar tissue that simply blocks the blood supply again.

Julian Halcox, professor of cardiology at Cardiff University, and a member of the British research team, says the principles behind using stents for erection problems are exactly the same as in heart disease.
'The only difference is that the blood vessels might be a little smaller than coronary arteries,' he says.

The Hollywood actress stunned guests at the OneXOne charity event in San Francisco when she announced that along with a ticket to next year's World Cup finals she would throw in a kiss.Theron was helping out at the fundraiser by auctioning off the trip to her native South Africa.

When the actress - an Oscar-winner in 2004 for Monster - saw that the bidding was hitting a bit of a slump, she offered up a smooch with the lucky bidder.On the announcement of the new addition to the prize, one gentleman immediately pushed the bid up to £79,000.

Theron - who took over hosting the event after actor Matt Damon pulled out due to a "family emergency" - was shocked when an unnamed woman offered the staggering sum, but agreed to lock lips in front of the cheering crowd.

The Italian Job, North Country and Arrested Development star, who is in a long-term relationship with Irish actor Stuart Townsend, joked after the 20-second kiss: "My boyfriend is not here."