title: The safety of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) are the leading drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), being recommended as a first line treatment by both the European and US urological guidelines. PDE5Is are highly effective as compared to placebo, well tolerated and have a very low, though not negligible, rate of severe treatment-related adverse events.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper reviews the safety profile of currently available PDE5Is, comparing them in a broad spectrum ED population and outlining a number of real-life aspects of importance in the real-life everyday clinical setting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Guidelines unanimously agree in considering PDE5Is as first line treatments for ED when well-tolerated and not contraindicated. Despite the fact that no high-grade evidence comparing the efficacy and the safety for PDE5Is is currently available, published data seem to suggest that there are no major differences in their safety proﬁles. Moreover, although oral PDE5Is were shown to cause more AEs than placebo, they were generally mild and well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: a Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.|b Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology; URI , IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ventimiglia
authors.affiliation: a Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.|b Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology; URI , IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Capogrosso
authors.affiliation: a Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.|b Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology; URI , IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montorsi
authors.affiliation: a Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.|b Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology; URI , IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salonia
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
chemical_list: D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors
keywords: Erectile dysfunction; adverse events; avanafil; lodenafil; mirodenafil; phophodiesterase type 5 inhibitors; safety; sildenafil; tadalafil; udenafil; vardenafil