If You Keep Doing That, You'll Go Blind

Everyone in the blogosphere seems to be commenting on this article. I first saw it at the Globe & Mail, but Fark has the Yahoo link, and I'm sure others have the story, too.

This type of blindness is called NAION – non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. It can occur in men who are diabetic or have heart disease, the same conditions that can cause impotence and thus lead to Viagra use.

The FDA has 50 reports of the blindness. Viagra has been taken by more than 23 million men worldwide.

“We take this seriously,” Cruzan said.

The FDA is working with Viagra manufacturer Pfizer Inc. to determine what, if any, information about the condition should be added to the drug's label.

Given the large number of athletes who say they'd take steroids to improve their careers even if they knew for sure that the steroids would cause them to die within five years, I can readily imagine there are few men who would let this risk of blindness stop them from taking viagra.

After all, threats of blindness or hairy palms didn't stop us from that other activity.

1. What is the risk?
2. Who is the least-cost avoider of the risk?