The third way to keep costs for erectile dysfunction drugs down is indirect, but worthwhile, and that is to do what you can to ensure you get the best possible results from your medications. Erectile dysfunction drugs work by allowing greater blood flow to the penis, and if they’re working against blood vessels that are narrowed by cholesterol plaques, or because you smoke a pack a day or don’t keep your diabetes under control, you’re not going to get the best results.
Many doctors who prescribe erectile dysfunction drugs recommend that you take steps to improve cardiovascular health, including having a healthy diet, kicking the smoking habit, keeping your weight under control, exercising regularly, and if you’re diabetic, maintaining tight blood glucose control. These steps improve your overall cardiac health, often improving erectile health at the same time, and helping drugs like Viagra work optimally.
Erectile dysfunction is a physiological issue for the vast majority of men who have it. That’s why drugs like Viagra work so well: they address the underlying issue, which is blood flow. When you do your part to improve your cardiac health, you’re also doing your part to improve your erectile health, whether or not you take prescription erectile dysfunction drugs.
Insurance coverage for Viagra and other drugs in its class is not great. When the name brand drugs go off-patent in the United States (which won’t start happening until the end of this year), it’s possible that generic competition could bring costs down enough that more insurance plan drug formularies will offer coverage. In the meantime, work with your doctor, compare prices, and do what you can to make your heart healthy, and you’ll get the absolute most out of the investment you make in erection health.