April 8, 2024 – Little blue pill meets little blue light.
A mobile app may improve erectile function, in response to a brand new study featured on the location European Association of Urology (EAU) Annual congress today.
Researchers developed a 12-week, self-administered program to treat erectile dysfunction. The program is delivered to patients' mobile devices and encourages users to perform cardiovascular training, pelvic floor exercises and a style of physical therapy called physiotherapy. It also provides information on erectile dysfunction, sex therapy, and stress management.
Treating erectile dysfunction through physical activity and/or lifestyle changes is advisable in European guidelines but just isn’t well established in clinical practice, researchers say.
App or waiting list
The app, often known as Kranus Edera, was created by Kranus Health. It is accessible by prescription in Germany and France.
To examine the effectiveness of the app, researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial on the University Hospital of Münster in Münster, Germany.
The study involved 241 men who had a rating of 21 or less on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). The index rates the degree of erectile dysfunction from 22 to 25, meaning no dysfunction, as much as 5 to 7, meaning severe dysfunction. A price of 21 means mild erectile dysfunction.
About half of the participants were randomly chosen to receive the app. The remainder were placed on a waiting list for the technology and served as a control group.
After 12 weeks, those that received the app reported significantly greater improvement on the size.
Men who received the app also reported an improvement in quality of life.
“The app is designed to save doctors time by providing patients with detailed explanations and instructions within the app itself,” said Dr. Laura Wiemer, chief medical director of Kranus.
The app helps to strengthen guideline-recommended approaches to treating erectile dysfunction “in a playful way with awards, motivational messages and individual adjustments to achieve better patient adherence and compliance,” said Wiemer.
Kranus plans to expand into the United States in 2024, she said.