Abstract
Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors (sildenafil, vardenafil and tadalafil) have been in widespread use for the safe and effective treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) for nearly a decade. During that time, a relatively small number of patients have experienced adverse visual events, including nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION). In this article, post-marketing reports of adverse visual events along with other relevant literature on ocular safety related to PDE-5 inhibitor use are reviewed. Although a relatively small number of cases have been reported with a possible temporal association with PDE-5 inhibitor use, it has not been possible to conclude whether these events are coincidental or whether they are associated with effects of PDE-5 inhibitors on ocular circulation or on other structures of the eye. A careful review of pooled data from clinical trials for all three PDE-5 inhibitors, which contain well documented information about the dose and duration of exposure to the drug for a large number of patients, yields no evidence for an increased risk of NAION or other adverse ocular events associated with PDE-5 inhibitor use. However, the inherent limitations in interpreting results from clinical trials and potentially incomplete information from post-marketing surveillance preclude a definitive declaration that ocular safety will not be a concern for some patients with ED and comorbid disease states. Despite the absence of a proven link between PDE-5 use and serious ocular disorders, physicians should continue to advise patients to stop use of a PDE-5 inhibitor and seek immediate medical attention in the event of a sudden loss of vision as a safety measure.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Selvin E, Burnett AL, Platz EA. Prevalence and risk factors for erectile dysfunction in the US. Am J Med 2007; 120(2): 151–7
Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG, et al. Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol 1994; 151: 54–61 15
Aytac IA, McKinlay JB, Krane RJ. The likely worldwide increase in erectile dysfunction between 1995 and 2025 and some possible policy consequences. BJU Int 1999; 84(1): 50–6
Feldman HA, Johannes CB, Derby CA, et al. Erectile dysfunction and coronary risk factors: prospective results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. Prev Med 2000; 30(4): 328–38
Seftel AD, Sun P, Swindle R. The prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus and depression in men with erectile dysfunction. J Urol 2004; 171(6 Pt 1): 2341–5
Bacon CG, Mittleman MA, Kawachi I, et al. A prospective study of risk factors for erectile dysfunction. J Urol 2006; 176(1): 217–21
Millett C, Wen LM, Rissel C, et al. Smoking and erectile dysfunction: findings from a representative sample of Australian men. Tob Control 2006; 15(2): 136–9
Kupelian V, Link CL, McKinlay JB. Association between smoking, passive smoking, and erectile dysfunction: results from the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey. Eur Urol 2007; 52(2): 416–22
Ponholzer A, Temml C, Mock K, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for erectile dysfunction in 2869 men using a validated questionnaire. Eur Urol 2005; 47(1): 80–5; discussion 85–6
Riedner CE, Rhoden EL, Ribeiro EP, et al. Central obesity is an independent predictor of erectile dysfunction in older men. J Urol 2006; 176(4 Pt 1): 1519–23
Kupelian V, Shabsigh R, Araujo AB, et al. Erectile dysfunction as a predictor of the metabolic syndrome in aging men: results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol 2006; 176(1): 222–6
Thompson IM, Tangen CM, Goodman PJ, et al. Erectile dysfunction and subsequent cardiovascular disease. JAMA 2005; 294: 2996–3002
Andersson KE. Pharmacology of penile erection. Pharmacol Rev 2001; 53(3): 417–50
Laties AM, Sharlip I. Ocular safety in patients using sildenafil citrate therapy for erectile dysfunction. J Sex Med 2006; 3(1): 12–27
Salonia A, Rigatti P, Montorsi F. Sildenafil in erectile dysfunction: a critical review. Curr Med Res Opin 2003; 19(4): 241–62
IMS Midas 2007 report; Verispan 2007 report. New York: Pfizer Inc., 2008. (Data on file)
Viagras R. Full prescribing information sildenafil citrate. New York: Pfizer Inc., 2008
Jackson G, Montorsi P, Cheitlin MD. Cardiovascular safety of sildenafil citrate (Viagra®): an updated perspective. Urology 2006; 68 Suppl. 3A: 47–60
Kostis JB, Jackson G, Rosen R, et al. Sexual dysfunction and cardiac risk: the Second Princeton Consensus Conference. Am J Cardiol 2005; 96: 313–21
Jackson G, Rosen RC, Kloner RA, et al. The Second Princeton Consensus on sexual dysfunction and cardiac risk: new guidelines for sexual medicine. J Sex Med 2006; 3(1): 28–36; discussion 36
LEVITRA®. Full prescribing information vardenafil. West Haven (CT): Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation, 2008
CIALIS®. Full prescribing information tadalafil. Indianapolis (IN): Lilly ICOS, LLC, 2008
Gresser U, Gleiter CH. Erectile dysfunction: comparison of efficacy and side effects of the PDE-5 inhibitors sildenafil, vardenafil and tadalafil: review of the literature. Eur J Med Res 2002; 7(10): 435–46
Brock GB, McMahon CG, Chen KK, et al. Efficacy and safety of tadalafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction: results of integrated analyses. J Urol 2002; 168(4 Pt 1): 1332–6
Hellstrom WJ, Gittelman M, Karlin G, et al. Vardenafil for treatment of men with erectile dysfunction: efficacy and safety in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Androl 2002; 23(6): 763–71
Hellstrom WJ, Gittelman M, Karlin G, et al. Sustained efficacy and tolerability of vardenafil, a highly potent selective phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, in men with erectile dysfunction: results of a randomized, double-blind, 26-week placebo-controlled pivotal trial. Urology 2003; 61 (4 Suppl. 1): 8–14
Blonde L. Sildenafil citrate for erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors: a retrospective analysis of pooled data from placebo-controlled trials. Curr Med Res Opin 2006; 22(11): 2111–20
Mittleman MA, Maclure M, Glasser DB. Evaluation of acute risk for myocardial infarction in men treated with sildenafil citrate. Am J Cardiol 2005; 96(3): 443–46
Mittleman MA, Glasser DB, Orazem J. Clinical trials of sildenafil citrate (Viagra) demonstrate no increase in risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death compared with placebo. Int J Clin Pract 2003; 57(7): 597–600
Kloner RA, Jackson G, Hutter AM, et al. Cardiovascular safety update of tadalafil: retrospective analysis of data from placebo-controlled and open-label clinical trials of tadalafil with as needed, three times-per-week or once-a-day dosing. Am J Cardiol 2006; 97(12): 1778–84
Goldman SA, Kennedy DL, Graham DJ, et al. The clinical impact of adverse event reporting [online]. Available from URL: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/articles/medcont/postmkt.htm [Accessed 2007 Jun 19]
Cheng E. Real-life safety and efficacy of vardenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction-results from 30,010 U.S. patients. J Sex Med 2007; 4(2): 432–9
van Ahlen H, Zumbe J, Stauch K, et al. The real-life safety and efficacy of vardenafil: an international post-marketing surveillance study: results from 29 358 German patients. J Int Med Res 2005; 33(3): 337–48
Kim CM, Kim YS, Sunwoo S, et al. Post-marketing surveillance study of the efficacy and safety of vardenafil among patients with erectile dysfunction in primary care. Int J Impot Res 2007; 19(4): 393–7
Hazell L, Boshier A, Harris S, et al. An observational cohort study investigating the cardiovascular safety of tadalafil when prescribed in primary care in England: mortality due to ischaemic heart disease. BJU Int 2007; 99(2): 387–93
Toda N, Nakanishi-Toda M. Nitric oxide: ocular blood flow, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Prog Retin Eye Res 2007; 26(3): 205–38 16
Conti M, Beavo J. Biochemistry and physiology of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases: essential components in cyclic nucleotide signaling. Annu Rev Biochem 2007; 76: 481–511
Cote RH. Characteristics of photoreceptor PDE (PDE6): similarities and differences to PDE5. Int J Impot Res 2004; 16 Suppl. 1: S28–33
Zhang K. From better erection to better sex: Viagra updates 2005. Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue 2005; 11: 796–9
Laties A, Ellis P, Koppiker N, et al. Visual function testing in patients and healthy volunteers receiving Viagra [abstract]. Ophthalmic Res 1998; 30 Suppl. 1: 177
Laties A, Ellis P, Mollon JD. The effects of sildenafil citrate (Viagra) on color discrimination in volunteers and patients with erectile dysfunction [abstract]. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1999; 40 (4 Suppl.): S693
Laties AM, Zrenner E. Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) and ophthalmology. Prog Retin Eye Res 2002; 21: 485–506
Osterloh I, Gillies H, Siegel R, et al. Efficacy and safety of Viagra® (sildenafil citrate). Fourth Biennial Congress of the European Society for Sexual and Impotence Research; 2001 Sep 30–Oct 3; Rome
Jägle H, Jägle C, Serey L, et al. Visual short-term effects of Viagra: double-blind study in healthy young subjects. Am J Ophthalmol 2004; 137(5): 842–9
Bollinger K, Lee MS. Recurrent visual field defect and ischemic optic neuropathy associated with tadalafil rechallenge. Arch Ophthalmol 2005; 123(3): 400–1
Govier F, Potempa AJ, Kaufman J, et al. A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, crossover study of patient preference for tadalafil 20 mg or sildenafil citrate 50 mg during initiation of treatment for erectile dysfunction. Clin Ther 2003; 25(11): 2709–23
Hayreh SS. The 1994 Von Sallman Lecture: the optic nerve head circulation in health and disease. Exp Eye Res 1995; 61(3): 259–72
Stefansson E, Pedersen DB, Jensen PK, et al. Optic nerve oxygenation. Prog Retin Eye Res 2005; 24(3): 307–32
Arnold AC. Pathogenesis of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. J Neuroophthalmol 2003; 23(2): 157–63
Polak K, Wimpissinger B, Berisha F, et al. Effects of sildenafil on retinal blood flow and flicker-induced retinal vasodilatation in healthy subjects. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2003; 44(11): 4872–6
Grunwald JE, Siu KK, Jacob SS, et al. Effect of sildenafil citrate (Viagra) on the ocular circulation. Am J Ophthamol 2001; 131: 751–5
Foresta C, Caretta N, Zuccarello D, et al. Expression of the PDE5 enzyme on human retinal tissue: new aspects of PDE5 inhibitors ocular side effects. Eye 2008; 22(1): 144–9
Grunwald JE, Jacob SS, Siu K, et al. Acute effects of sildenafil citrate (Viagra®) on intraocular pressure in open-angle glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol 2001; 132(6): 872–4
Metelitsina TI, Grunwald JE, DuPont JC, et al. Effect of Viagra on the foveolar choroidal circulation of AMD patients. Exp Eye Res 2005; 81(2): 159–64
Metelitsina TI, Grunwald JE, DuPont JC, et al. Effect of Viagra on retinal vein diameter in AMD patients. Exp Eye Res 2006; 83(1): 128–32
Grunwald JE, Koppiker NP, Hodges M. Visual adverse events in patients with eye disorders who received sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction [abstract]. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1999; 40 (4 Suppl.): S767
Eke T, Spry PGD, Cioffi GA, et al. Short term effects of sildenafil (Viagra) in eyes of glaucoma patients [abstract]. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2001; 42: S421
Kurtulan E, Gulcu A, Secil M, et al. Effects of sildenafil on ocular perfusion demonstrated by color Doppler ultrasonography. Int J Impot Res 2004; 16(3): 244–8
Dundar SO, Dayanir Y, Topaloglu A, et al. Effect of sildenafil on ocular hemodynamics in 3 months regular use. Int J Impot Res 2006; 18(3): 282–6
Koksal M, Ozdemir H, Kargi S, et al. The effects of sildenafil on ocular blood flow. Acta Ophthalmol Scand 2005; 83(3): 355–9
Rucker JC, Biousse V, Newman NJ. Ischemic optic neuropathies. Curr Opin Neurol 2004; 17(1): 27–35
Hattenhauer MG, Leavitt JA, Hodge DO, et al. Incidence of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Am J Ophthalmol 1997; 123: 103–7
Johnson LN, Arnold AC. Incidence of nonarteritic and arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: population-based study in the state of Missouri and Los Angeles County, California. J Neuroophthalmol 1994; 14(1): 38–44
Xu L, Wang Y, Jonas JB. Incidence of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in adult Chinese: the Beijing Eye Study. Eur J Ophthalmol 2007; 17(3): 459–60
Gorkin L, Hvidsten K, Sobel RE, et al. Sildenafil citrate use and the incidence of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Int J Clin Pract 2006; 60(4): 500–3
Hayreh SS, Zimmerman MB. Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: natural history of visual outcome. Ophthalmology 2008; 115(2): 298–305.e2
Tomsak R. PDE5 inhibitors and permanent visual loss. Int J Impot Res 2005; 17(6): 547–9
Beck R, Servais G, Hayreh S. Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: IX. Cup-to-disc ratio and its role in pathogenesis. Ophthalmology 1987; 94: 1503–8
Jonas J, Laties AM. Clinical assessment of disk at risk [abstract]. Acta Ophthalmologica 2008; 86 Suppl. 243: 5125
Hayreh SS, Zimmerman MB. Optic disc edema in nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2007; 245(8): 1107–21
Contreras I, Noval S, Rebolleda G, et al. Follow-up of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy with optical coherence tomography. Ophthalmology 2007; 114(12): 2338–44
Deleon-Ortega J, Carroll KE, Arthur SN, et al. Correlations between retinal nerve fiber layer and visual field in eyes with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Am J Ophthalmol 2007; 143(2): 288–94
Tesser RA, Niendorf ER, Levin LA. The morphology of an infarct in nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Ophthalmology 2003; 110(10): 2031–5 17
Newman NJ, Scherer R, Langenberg P, et al. The fellow eye in NAION: report from the ischemic optic neuropathy decompression trial follow-up study. Am J Ophthalmol 2002; 134(3): 317–28
Collignon-Robe NJ, Feke GT, Rizzo 3rd JF. Optic nerve head circulation in nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and optic neuritis. Ophthalmology 2004; 111(9): 1663–72
Hayreh SS, Zimmerman MB. Incipient nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Ophthalmology 2007; 114(9): 1763–72
Bella AJ, Brant WO, Lue TF, et al. Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors. Can J Urol 2006; 13(5): 3233–8
Hayreh SS. Erectile dysfunction drugs and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: is there a cause and effect relationship? J Neuroophthalmol 2005; 25(4): 295–8
Nagy V, Steiber Z, Takacs L, et al. Trombophilic screening for nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2006; 244(1): 3–8
Pinna A, Solinas G, Masia C, et al. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in a Sardinian population, Italy. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2008; 49(4): 1328–32
Hayreh SS, Jonas JB, Zimmerman MB. Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and tobacco smoking. Ophthalmology 2007; 114(4): 804–9
Teloken PE, Smith EB, Lodowsky C, et al. Defining association between sleep apnea syndrome and erectile dysfunction. Urology 2006; 67(5): 1033–7
Mojon DS, Hedges 3rd TR, Ehrenberg B, et al. Association between sleep apnea syndrome and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Arch Ophthalmol 2002; 120(5): 601–5
Palombi K, Renard E, Levy P, et al. Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy is nearly systematically associated with obstructive sleep apnoea. Br J Ophthalmol 2006; 90(7): 879–82
Behbehani R, Mathews MK, Sergott RC, et al. Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in patients with sleep apnea while being treated with continuous positive airway pressure. Am J Ophthalmol 2005; 139(3): 518–21
Dhillon S, Shapiro CM, Flanagan J. Sleep-disordered breathing and effects on ocular health. Can J Ophthalmol 2007; 42(2): 238–43
Pack AI. Advances in sleep-disordered breathing. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2006; 173(1): 7–15
Egan R, Pomeranz H. Sildenafil (Viagra) associated anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Arch Ophthalmol 2000; 118(2): 291–2
Pomeranz HD, Bhavsar AR. Nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy developing soon after use of sildenafil (Viagra): a report of seven new cases. J Neuroophthalmol 2005; 25(1): 9–13
Pomeranz HD, Smith KH, Hart WM, et al. Sildenafil-associated nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Ophthalmology 2002; 109(3): 584–7
Cunningham AV, Smith KH. Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy associated with Viagra. J Neuroophthalmol 2001; 21(1): 22–5
Boshier A, Pambakian N, Shakir SA. A case of nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) in a male patient taking sildenafil. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2002; 40(9): 422–3
Cockerham KP. Drugs (Viagra), sex and blindness-technology for good & bad. The Bulletin 2003 Aug; 380
Dheer S, Rekhi GS, Merlyn S. Sildenafil associated anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy. J Assoc Physicians India 2002; 50: 265
Gruhn N, Fledelius HC. Unilateral optic neuropathy associated with sildenafil intake. Acta Ophthalmol Scand 2005; 83(1): 131–2
Sinha S, Pathak-Ray V, Ahluwalia H, et al. Viagra or what? Eye 2004; 18(4): 446–8
Gedik S, Yilmaz G, Akova YA. Sildenafil-associated consecutive nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, cilioretinal artery occlusion, and central retinal vein occlusion in a haemodialysis patient. Eye 2007; 21(1): 129–30
Peter NM, Singh MV, Fox PD. Tadalafil-associated anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy. Eye 2005; 19(6): 715–7
Escaravage Jr GK, Wright Jr JD, Givre SJ. Tadalafil associated with anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Arch Ophthalmol 2005; 123(3): 399–400
McGwin Jr G, Vaphiades MS, Hall TA, et al. Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy and the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Br J Ophthalmol 2006; 90(2): 154–7
Sobel RE, Cappelleri JC. NAION and treatment of erectile dysfunction: reply from Pfizer [letter]. Br J Ophthalmol 2006; 90(7): 927
Margo CE, French DD. Ischemic optic neuropathy in male veterans prescribed phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors. Am J Ophthalmol 2007; 143(3): 538–9
Ware JH. The limitations of risk factors as prognostic tools. N Engl J Med 2006; 355(25): 2615–7
Maclure M, Mittleman MA. Should we use a case-crossover design? Annu Rev Public Health 2000; 21: 193–221
Sowka JW, Neiberg MN, Vollmer LA. Optic atrophy after sildenafil use. Optometry 2007; 78(3): 122–8
Ramasamy B, Rowe F, Nayak H, et al. Acute angle-closure glaucoma following sildenafil citrate-aided sexual intercourse. Acta Ophthalmol Scand 2007; 85(2): 229–30
McGee HT, Egan RA, Clark WM. Visual field defect and intracerebral hemorrhage associated with use of vardenafil (Levitra). Neurology 2005; 64(6): 1095–6
Tripathi A, O’Donnell NP. Branch retinal artery occlusion; another complication of sildenafil. Br J Ophthalmol 2000; 84(8): 934–5
Bertolucci A, Latkany RA, Gentile RC, et al. Hemi-retinal artery occlusion associated with sexual activity and sildenafil citrate (Viagra). Acta Ophthalmol Scand 2003; 81(2): 198–200
Bujarborua D, Chatterjee S, Choudhury A, et al. Fluorescein angiographic features of asymptomatic eyes in 18 central serous chorioretinopathy. Retina 2005; 25(4): 422–9
van Velthoven ME, Verbraak FD, Garcia PM, et al. Evaluation of central serous retinopathy with en face optical coherence tomography. Br J Ophthalmol 2005; 89(11): 1483–8
Tittl MK, Spaide RF, Wong D, et al. Systemic findings associated with central serous chorioretinopathy. Am J Ophthalmol 1999; 128(1): 63–8
Yannuzzi LA. Type A behavior and central serous chorioretinopathy. Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc 1986; 84: 799–845
Murata M, Ideta H, Kawasaki T, et al. A case of central serous chorioretinopathy after sildenafil (Viagra). Kyushu Ganka Gakkai 2000; 42: 727–30
Allibhai ZA, Gale JS, Sheidow TS. Central serous chorioretinopathy in a patient taking sildenafil citrate. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2004; 35(2): 165–7
Quiram P, Dumars S, Parwar B, et al. Viagra-associated serous macular detachment. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2005; 243(4): 339–44
Acknowledgements
Editorial support was provided by Donald G. Buerk, PhD, of Complete Healthcare Communications, Inc., and was funded by Pfizer Inc.
Alan Laties received grant support from, was a study investigator for, and is a consultant to Pfizer Inc.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Laties, A.M. Vision Disorders and Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors. Drug-Safety 32, 1–18 (2009). https://doi.org/10.2165/00002018-200932010-00001
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00002018-200932010-00001