HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sussman, D. O. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sussman, D. O.

Dr Sussman is an associate professor of urology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford.

Address correspondence to David O. Sussman, DO, FACOS, Urology Associates, 205 E Laurel Rd, Stratford, NJ 08084-1301. E-mail: dosuss{at}comcast.net

Clinical evidence in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) shows that the phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors sildenafil citrate, tadalafil, and vardenafil hydrochloride have favorable safety and efficacy profiles. However, as mild vasodilators, the PDE5 inhibitors are also associated with hemodynamic effects that may be clinically significant, especially when treating men with ED who have comorbid cardiovascular disease. Hemodynamic studies have shown that therapeutic dosages of the PDE5 inhibitors produce only mild and transient changes in mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate in healthy men as well as those with ischemic heart disease or chronic stable angina. Overall, PDE5 inhibitors are safe and effective in most patient populations, including men with ischemic cardiovascular disease or those receiving antihypertensive agents, and men with diabetes or those who have undergone nerve-sparing retropubic radical prostatectomy. With the entry of three novel PDE5 inhibitors into the therapeutic armamentarium for ED, differentiating properties of the new agents may confer clinical benefits that physicians as well as patients and their partners should consider when selecting a PDE5 inhibitor.