LONDON, July 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- Former England Cricketer and Spin Ace, Phil Tufnell, and Media Doctor and GP,
Dr Rob Hicks, Call on Men to Bat Away Embarrassment and Take Appropriate Action
on Impotence

With the first innings of the Ashes commencing this week, celebrity TV presenter
and former England cricketer and spin ace, Phil Tufnell is calling on British
blokes to think about their health as well as the Ashes Test Series this summer.
Concerned that many men may not be able to bowl their maiden over, Phil is
encouraging blokes who may experience impotence to visit
http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com to learn about the condition and why their
doctor is best placed to help. Bowl Your Maiden Over is sponsored and brought to
you by Lilly UK.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/bowlyourmaidenover/39040/

Impotence is common. 40% of men over the age of 40 have experienced some degree
of impotence(1) yet many do not speak to a doctor(2). The latest data suggest
that almost one third of men attempt to self-treat impotence by purchasing
treatments from uncontrolled sources(2)(*). In the case of medicines, a study
showed 65% accessed from these sources are imitations with relatively high
health risks(2). Bowl Your Maiden Over encourages men to avoid unnecessary risk
and to speak to their GP about impotence and the range of different treatment
options available - 95% of cases can be treated by a healthcare professional(3).

Commenting on why men fail to take appropriate action on impotence, Phil Tufnell
says, Over five and a half million fellas in the UK may be experiencing some
degree of impotence,(1,4) but no one seems to talk about it. But because of all
this embarrassment and silence, men don't know what to do about the condition.
So I'm encouraging blokes to take action. The message is simple: lads, if you
can't bowl your maiden over, go to http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com and then,
if necessary, visit your GP for help.

Research shows that most men wait for a year or longer before speaking to their
GP.(5) Commenting on this, media doctor and GP Rob Hicks says, There's really no
need for embarrassment when it comes to impotence. This is a common condition
that GPs see week in, week out. Given this, it's strange that men still duck for
cover when the word is mentioned. There's no need - this is not an out-of-bounds
condition. GPs are used to talking about it and want to help.

Supporting the call for men to take appropriate action on impotence, Rob adds, I
want men to enjoy the cricket this summer but to also think about their health.
I'm urging men to tackle the issue head on and get information from qualified
sources. On top of that, impotence may impact on a couple's relationship so it
makes sense to speak to your GP and get things back on track(6).

Concluding, Phil Tufnell says, I'm looking forward to sharing some top cricket
stats with blokes this summer but before the Ashes gets underway, I want to
knock about some facts on impotence: you're not alone if you experience it. In
fact, if a large Test ground, such as Lord's, was full of men aged 40 and over,
at least 10,000 blokes would have experienced impotence(1,7). Trying to get help
without speaking to a professional is a risky business, so get down to the GP
and make sure your kit is in order.

As a first step, men can visit a new impotence information website at
http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com. It is provided alongside
http://www.40over40.com, a website that offers information and advice about
impotence and includes a simple action plan to help men prepare for a
conversation with their GP. Both websites are sponsored and brought to you by
Eli Lilly and Company Limited (Lilly UK).

Note to Editors

* Uncontrolled sources of impotence treatments tend to provide services without
the patient requiring a medical consultation and/or prescription

Decisions about impotence treatment and men's overall health should be made by
patients in consultation with a doctor. Buying treatments from internet sites,
or other sources, which do not provide professional, qualified medical advice
puts the patient at risk.

What is impotence?

Impotence, or erectile dysfunction, occurs when the penis does not get hard
(erect) enough to allow a man to have sexual activity. This happens because not
enough blood can get into, or stay, in the penis(6).

What causes impotence?

In most cases, the cause of impotence is a physical one. It can be a symptom of
other illnesses including diabetes, high blood pressure or nerve
problems(6,8,9,10). In many cases there will be a combination of both physical
and psychological factors.

Why has http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com been developed?

Impotence is commonly experienced by men over the age of 40,(1) many of who may
be cricket fans. A cricket analogy is being used in this summer's impotence
information campaign to help men engage with this health problem and discuss the
topic with their GP. The Bowl Your Maiden Over disease awareness campaign is in
association with http://www.40over40.com, an erectile dysfunction educational
website.

Both activities/resources are sponsored and brought to you by Eli Lilly and
Company Limited (Lilly UK).

Disease awareness campaigns

Guidance is provided on healthcare communications and disease awareness
campaigns in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
(MHRA) and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). More
information can be found at: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/ and
http://www.abpi.org.uk/links/assoc/PMCPA/pmpca_code2006.pdf

References

1) Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG et al. Impotence and its medical
and psychological correlates: results of the Massachusetts male aging study.
Journal of Urology 1994; 151(1): 54 - 61

2) Banks I, Kirby M, Marfatia A et al. Assessment, in a general population of
men, of men's interaction with the healthcare system to obtain Phospodiesterase
Type 5 Inhibitors. Poster presented at Joint Congress of the European and
International Societies for Sexual Medicine, Belgium, 2008

3) WGBH Educational Foundation 2006, Impotence: causes and treatments,
http://www.jcn.co.uk/journal.asp.?MonthNum=10YearNum=1999Type=backissueArticleID=186
Last accessed 19.06.09

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this
hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the space if
one exists.)

4) 14,052,000 men in the UK are aged 40 or over according to data from the
Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland, Northern
Ireland Statistics and Research
Agency:http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15106. Last
accessed 23.06.09. 40% of men over the age of 40 have experienced some degree of
impotence according to Feldman HA et al. (reference 1 within this document). It
can therefore be calculated that 5,620,800 men in the UK may be experiencing
some form of impotence

5) Haro JM, Beardsworth A, Casariego J et al. Treatment-seeking behavior of
erectile dysfunction patients in Europe: results of the erectile dysfunction
observational study. Journal of Sexual Medicine 2006; 3: 530 - 540

6) Miller TA. Diagnostic evaluation of erectile dysfunction. American Family
Physician 2000; 61(1): 95 - 104, 109 - 110

7) BBC Sport venue guide,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/static/in_depth/cricket/2001/ashes/venues/lords.stm.
Last accessed 12.06.09

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this
hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the space if
one exists.)

8) Wagner G, Mulhall J. Pathophysiology and diagnosis of male erectile
dysfunction. BJU International 2001; 88 (Suppl 3): 3 - 10

9) Bloomgarden ZT. American Diabetes Association annual meeting, 1999:
nephropathy and neuropathy. Diabetes Care 2000; 23(4): 549 - 556

10) Dey J, Shepherd MD. Evaluation and treatment of erectile dysfunction in men
with diabetes mellitus. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2002; 77: 276 - 282

This activity is sponsored and brought to you by Eli Lilly and Company Limited
(Lilly UK). Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Basingstoke, RG24 9NL.

Prepared June 2009, UKCLS00232

SOURCE: Eli Lilly and Company Limited

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