Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common medical disorder often affecting the aging male. Nitric oxide (NO) is a physiological signal essential to penile erection. NO synthase (NOS) catalyzes the production of NO from L-arginine. ADMA, a competitive inhibitor of NO synthase increases with age and many disorders that reduce NO in the erectile tissue are commonly associated with ED. Although new pharmacological strategies have been identified for medical treatment of ED, patients often seek alternative therapies for cost or side effect reasons.~The aim of the present study is to determine the efficacy of orally administered L-arginine on ED not caused by established organic disease.
The purpose of the study is to determine whether the treatment with L-arginine leads to an improvement of erectile dysfunction in patients with erectile dysfunction.