Erectile dysfunction drug used to treat enlarged prostate symptoms may raise glaucoma risk
An erectile dysfunction drug that is also used to treat symptoms, such as sudden urgency and frequency, associated with an enlarged prostate in men may heighten the risk of glaucoma, a serious eye condition, a large comparative study published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology finds.
A large study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology suggests that long-term use of the erectile dysfunction drug tadalafil (Cialis) for treating symptoms of an enlarged prostate may increase the risk of glaucoma, a serious eye condition. Tadalafil belongs to a class of medications called phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i), which have previously been associated with various eye health issues.
Researchers analyzed data from 73,854 men aged 40 and older, half of whom had been prescribed tadalafil or another PDE5i for up to five years to manage urinary tract symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia. They found that men prescribed tadalafil were 22% more likely to develop glaucoma, 32% more likely to develop ocular hypertension, 33% more likely to develop primary open-angle glaucoma, and 33% more likely to start glaucoma treatment than men who were not prescribed tadalafil.
The associations were observed among patients of various ages, ethnicities, and with different underlying conditions. While the study does not establish a causal link, it highlights the importance of regular ophthalmic assessments and follow-up for long-term tadalafil users, particularly those with glaucoma risk factors.
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