Letter to the Editor: Yohimbine can be the new promising therapy for erectile dysfunction in type 2 diabetics

Madam, Diabetes mellitus, especially type 2 is positively related to the rising obesity levels in the present day scenario. Late sequelae of diabetes include retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy. In males, the diabetic complication which can significantly hamper the quality of marital life is erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction affects nearly 100 million men world wide of which 52% belong to age group 40-70 years. Its prevalence in diabetics is nearly double (45.8%) than that of non diabetics (24.1%). Recently a study identified an association between a polymorphism in the human α2a-adrenergic receptor gene (ADRA2A) and a reduced ability of pancreatic beta cells to release insulin. The beta cells carrying the risk allele make too many α2a-adrenergic receptors, which impairs the docking of insulin granules at the plasma membrane — a priming step that normally results in the lining up of insulin-containing vesicles at the membrane, ready to release their contents in response to a rising glucose level.