FDA
Warns Consumers Not to Use Products Sold Over the Internet for Erectile Dysfunction
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to purchase
or use "Blue Steel" or "Hero" products, marketed nationally
as dietary supplements, because these products contain undeclared ingredients
that may dangerously affect a person's blood pressure.
These supplements,
which are promoted and sold over the Internet for the treatment of erectile dysfunction
[ED] and for sexual enhancement, are considered unapproved drugs and have not
been proven to be safe or effective.
The products contain undeclared and
unapproved substances similar in chemical structure to sildenafil, the active
ingredient in Viagra, an FDA-approved prescription drug for the treatment of ED.
The undeclared ingredients in these products may interact with nitrates
found in some prescription drugs (such as nitroglycerin), and can lower blood
pressure to dangerous levels.
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to purchase
or use "Blue Steel" or "Hero" products, marketed nationally
as dietary supplements, because these products contain undeclared ingredients
that may dangerously affect a person's blood pressure. 
