'Check Men's Facts' Campaign Urges Men to See their Doctor about the Connection KENILWORTH, N.J., and PHILADELPHIA, June 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new national survey of U.S. men ages 35 and older showed that approximately 8 of every 10 men who have high blood pressure (hypertension or HTN) (82%) were not aware of its connection to ED, and many were unaware of the connection between ED and other medical conditions that commonly affect men, such as high cholesterol (86%) and diabetes (73%). "These are important findings for the millions of men in the U.S. who suffer from hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes, as any of these medical conditions can lead to erectile dysfunction. In my clinical experience, men often feel more comfortable visiting the doctor for a condition like hypertension. If more men understood the link between these medical conditions, which are treatable, they might have an easier time talking to their doctor," said Dr. Matt Rosenberg, medical director at Mid- Michigan Health Centers in Jackson, MI. The survey found that nearly half (44%) of men 35 and older said they would be more likely to talk to their doctors about ED if they were informed about its connection to other conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol or diabetes. Results from the national survey further showed that men and physicians might not always be speaking the same language when discussing men's health. In fact, although a majority of physicians were aware that diabetes (100%), hypertension (88%) and high cholesterol (66%) may lead to ED, most men said they were unaware of the link at the time of diagnosis with the respective conditions. To address this lack of knowledge and communication, the Men's Health Network has partnered with GlaxoSmithKline and Schering-Plough to launch "Check Men's Facts," a program to raise awareness of the link between ED and other common medical conditions and to improve communication between patients and their physicians. The program also includes an informational, user- friendly Web site (http://www.checkmensfacts.com/), which men can visit in the privacy of their home for information about common risk factors for ED. The site answers frequently asked questions by men experiencing changes in their erectile function and offers tips to help alleviate some of the anxiety men often feel during an in-person doctor's visit. "Better communication between a man and his doctor can lead to better health care," said Dr. Jean Bonhomme, Men's Health Network. "Enhancing that communication starts with an understanding of medical conditions common to men, as well as their risk factors. Check Men's Facts provides information that men need to arm themselves for a productive visit with their physician, in an easily understandable format." According to the survey, the majority of physicians and men agree that better communication is considered necessary: 75 percent of physicians admitted that better communication about ED with their patients is needed and 71 percent of men say that they would welcome it. Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is the consistent or recurrent inability to attain and/or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual performance. Approximately 152 million men worldwide and up to 30 million men in the United States suffer from ED. The condition is more common and treatable than people realize. It is estimated that some degree of ED affects more than half of all men over 40 years of age. 8.7 million American men have diabetes, 29.4 million have high blood pressure and 50.4 million have high cholesterol. These conditions, even when controlled by medication, may still cause changes in blood flow, a critical component of healthy erectile function. Additional information regarding erectile dysfunction, the Check Men's Facts educational campaign, and the new national survey can be accessed online at http://www.checkmensfacts.com/. Survey Information Harris Interactive(R) conducted this online survey on behalf of Schering- Plough and GlaxoSmithKline between October 3 and 12, 2005 among 1,342 U.S. men age 35+, 102 U.S. primary care physicians, 100 U.S. urologists and 100 U.S. endocrinologists. The national data for men age 35+ were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. population of adult men ages 35+ on the basis of education, age, race/ethnicity, region, income and propensity to be online. The data for each physician specialty were weighted to be representative of the respective specialty on the basis of gender, by years in practice, and region. The data for the total physician sample was also weighted to be representative of the proportions of each specialty in the overall physician population based on information available through the American Medical Association (AMA) database. In theory, with probability samples of this size, the overall sampling error for the men's sample results is +/-5 percentage points, with 95 percent certainty. Sampling error is +/- 6 percentage points for the total physician sample. Sampling error for the various sub-sample results is higher and varies. These online samples are not probability samples. About Schering-Plough Schering-Plough is a global science-based health care company with leading prescription, consumer and animal health products. Through internal research and collaborations with partners, Schering-Plough discovers, develops, manufactures and markets advanced drug therapies to meet important medical needs. Schering-Plough's vision is to earn the trust of the physicians, patients and customers served by its 32,000 people around the world. The company is based in Kenilworth, N.J., and its Web site is http://www.schering-plough.com/. About GSK GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. About Harris Interactive(R) Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/), based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll(R) and for its pioneering leadership in the online market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/europe) and Asia offices, its wholly- owned subsidiary Novatris in Paris, France (http://www.novatris.com/), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. DATASOURCE: Schering-Plough; GlaxoSmithKline CONTACT: Matthew J. Scampoli of Schering-Plough, +1-908-298-4812; Nancy Leone of GlaxoSmithKline, +1-919-483-2839 Web site: http://www.schering-plough.com/ http://www.checkmensfacts.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/777050.html

Copyright