Effectiveness of sildenafil in treating erectile dysfunction in PTSD patients: a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is known to be associated with Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Sildenafil citrate was shown to be effective treatment for ED among different clinical populations. However, to date, no placebo-controlled trial has assessed sildenafil's effectiveness for treating ED in PTSD patients. The goal of the present study was to address this question using a double-blind placebo controlled crossover design.
METHODS: A four-week double-blind crossover trial of sildenafil (50 mg up to 100 mg per usage) versus placebo was conducted on 21 outpatients diagnosed with chronic PTSD accompanied by ED. Erectile function was assessed biweekly using the International Inventory of Erectile Function (IIEF). Depressive symptoms, PTSD symptoms and subjective well-being scores were assessed as well.
RESULTS: Analysis of IIEF scores revealed a main effect of treatment phase (E = 33.361, df =2, P < 0.000). Pairwise comparisons showed that sildenafil IIEF scores (mean = 45.19 +/- 15.05) were significantly higher compared to baseline scores (mean = 20.00 +/- 12.32, P = 0.000) and placebo scores (mean = 33.04 +/- 12.99). Compared to placebo, a significant improvement was also observed during the sildenafil phase in erectile function, orgasmic function and sexual desire. There was no significant change in depression, PTSD symptoms or subjective well-being.
CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that sildenafil citrate treatment for ED in PTSD patients was…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Drug repositioning: a brief overview
- Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in Drosophila melanogaster
- Time-resolved in silico modeling of fine-tuned cAMP signaling in platelets: feedback loops, titrated phosphorylations and pharmacological modulation
- Current View on Green Tea Catechins Formulations, Their Interactions with Selected Drugs, and Prospective Applications for Various Health Conditions
- In silico Structure-based Identification of Novel Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors Against Alzheimer’s Disease
- Development and In Vitro Evaluation of Controlled Release Viagra® Containing Poloxamer-188 Using Gastroplus™ PBPK Modeling Software for In Vivo Predictions and Pharmacokinetic Assessments
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.