Dive Brief:
- A comparative scientific analysis of seven common erectile dysfunction (ED) treatments revealed that although Viagra (sildenafil) is more effective than other ED treatments, it is also associated with more side effects.
- In addition to Viagra, the analysis, which included more than 150 trials, focused on Cialis (tadalafil), Levitra (vardenafil), Stendra (avanafil), Zydena (udenafil), Helleva (lodenafil), and Mvix (mirodenafil).
- Side effects associated with Viagra include headaches, flushing, indigestion, and nasal congestion.
Dive Insight:
Results of this analysis, which was undertaken by research teams at the University of Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Techology and Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, were published in European Urology.
The overall assessment was that all of the drugs analyzed were more effective than placebo at treating ED, and that they were also safe and generally tolerable. However, they also noted that men who cannot tolerate Viagra's side effects, may want to start taking Cialis or Zydena if those products are available in their regulatory market.
The big takeaway here is that phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5 inhibitors) are an effective therapeutic class for treating the symptoms of ED—and that ED may not be a natural part of aging, but rather a medical condition that can and should be addressed clinically.