World J Mens Health.  2013 Apr;31(1):31-35.

Treatment Strategy for Non-Responders to PDE5 Inhibitors

• Park NC
• Kim TN
• Park HJ

Abstract

Currently, phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are the initial treatment option for erectile dysfunction. The reported efficacy of PDE5 inhibitors is about 70%, although it is significantly lower in difficult-to-treat subpopulations. Treatment failures might be due to the severity of the underlying pathophysiology, improper use of medication, unrealistic patient expectations, difficult relationship dynamics, severe performance anxiety, and other psychological problems. Physicians must address these issues to identify true treatment failures attributable to the drugs. This article discusses factors that might affect the response to PDE5 inhibitors and develops a strategy to maximize the overall efficacy of PDE5 inhibitors in initial non-responders to PDE5 inhibitors.

Keyword

Erectile dysfunction; Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors; Sildenafil; Tadalafil; Vardenafil

MeSH Terms

Carbolines
Erectile Dysfunction
Humans
Imidazoles
Male
Performance Anxiety
Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors
Piperazines
Purines
Sulfones
Treatment Failure
Triazines
Sildenafil Citrate
Tadalafil
Vardenafil Dihydrochloride
Carbolines
Imidazoles
Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors
Piperazines
Purines
Sulfones
Triazines

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Treatment strategy for non-responders to PDE5 inhibitors. PDE: phosphodiesterase.

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