Fridley-based Medtronic Tests Stents for Erectile Dysfunction

Heart patients who can't take drugs for erectile dysfunction may be helped by treatment with stents that Fridley-based Medtronic has tested, according to Reuters.

The stent improves blood flow to the penis by opening up the internal pudendal artery. Medtronic conducted a three-month research study on 30 men who had an average age of 60.

About two-thirds of the men showed gains, and the treatment hasn't so far had side fects.

Erectile dysfunction affects 30 million men in the United States, and 300 million around the world.

The study could open up a new market for Medtronic, whose stock price has been slumping recently.

That's despite an .