融合医学在防治勃起功能障碍治疗中的应用前景

Application prospect of convergence medicine in treatment of erectile dysfunction

勃起功能障碍（erectile dysfunction，ED）发病率占成年男性50％，其中接近50％的患者为器质性ED，而且这些患者病理变化的轻重程度与疾病轻重程度密切相关。

The prevalence of erectile dysfunction （ED） is as high as about 50% in males, of which organic diseases take up 50%, and its severity is associated with the degree of tissue damage. Current management for ED consists of oral phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors （ PDESis ）, intracavernosal injection therapy with vasodilating agents, and vacuum devices. However, these therapies are usually taken on demand just prior to the sexual activity, and can not alter the underlying pathophysiology of erectile tissue. Convergence medicine is defined as the merging of engineering, physical sciences and life sciences into a unity that provides different kinds of tools for the benefit of human health, and it is called the third revolution in the field of life science research, following the birth of molecular biology （the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953 ） and the birth of genomies （the completion of the human genome project in 2001 ）. Currently, as successful examples in the convergence medicine, low-energy shock wave therapy （LESWT） and low-intensity pulsed ultrasound （LIPUS） in the treatment of ED bright a new era to men＇ s heahhcare.