Efficacy and safety of sildenafil citrate for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men with cardiovascular disease.

A M Olsson, C A Persson

Journal: International journal of clinical practice 2001;55(3):171-6

PMID: 11351770

Abstract

Men with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are more likely to have erectile dysfunction (ED) than the general population, as both conditions share risk factors and some drugs used to treat CVD may induce ED as a side-effect. This study was undertaken to assess the efficacy and safety of sildenafil citrate for the treatment of ED in men with CVD who were receiving treatment with beta-blockers and/or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and/or calcium-channel blockers, but not nitrates. Treatment with sildenafil was associated with significant increases in the mean end-of-treatment scores for the questions from the International Index of Erectile Function that assess the ability to achieve and maintain erections (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, 71% of patients taking sildenafil reported improved erections compared with 24% taking placebo (p = 0.0001). This study also showed that sildenafil was well tolerated in patients with CVD and ED. Besides flushing, no treatment-related cardiovascular adverse events were noted for sildenafil.

Address: Department of Urology, University Hospital, 221 85 Lund, Sweden.

MeSH Terms: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists, Adult, Aged, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Calcium Channel Blockers, Cardiovascular Diseases, Double-Blind Method, Humans, Impotence, Vasculogenic, Male, Middle Aged, Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors, Piperazines, Prospective Studies, Purines, Sildenafil Citrate, Sulfones, Treatment Outcome