[Impact of the pharmacokinetic properties of PDE5 inhibitors on the dose/sexual intercourse interval].
BACKGROUND
Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5I) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) have the same pharmacological target but their dissimilar chemical structures lead to different pharmacokinetic profiles and consequently possible different uses.


OBJECTIVE
To study the impact of the pharmacokinetic differences of PDE5I on the time interval between drug intake and subsequent sexual intercourse.


METHODS
Observational study, prospective conducted with a sample of 462 French general practitioners over one year. The physicians included patients with ED treated since at least three months by PDE5I. The patients were followed for two months.


RESULTS
One thousand four hundred and two patients (mean age 57.9 years) with ED (mean duration 1.8 years) were analyzed; they were treated since 11.1 months: 939 (67%) by sildenafil, 116 (8.3%) by vardenafil and 347 (24.8%) by tadalafil. Sildenafil was taken at the recommended starting dose in 77% of cases versus 55% and 23% for vardenafil and tadalafil, respectively, that required more frequently higher doses than the recommended starting dose to be efficient. During the observational period, data from 5842 sexual intercourses (from 780 patients) were available. The median [CI: 95%] of the time interval between drug intake and sexual intercourses was 1.0h [1.0-1.0] for sildenafil, 1.0h [1.0-1.0] for vardenafil and 1.5h [1.3-1.5] for tadalafil. Questionnaires for sexual life quality and treatment satisfaction did not evidence differences between the treatments.


CONCLUSIONS
This observational study performed in a nonspecialized medical practice indicates that despite their different pharmacokinetic profiles, the different uses of PDE5I remain fairly similar.
Giuliano
F
F
Neuro-andro-urologie, service de médecine physique et de rééducation, hôpital Raymond-Poincaré, AP-HP, 104, boulevard Raymond-Poincaré, 92380 Garches, France. giuliano@cyber-sante.org
Vicaut
E
E
Jeanpetit
Y
Y