Regular users of common erectile dysfunction (ED) medications increase their risk of developing one of three serious eye conditions by as much as 85 percent, according to a recent University of British Columbia study.
That conclusion was the result of an epidemiological study of health insurance claims of 213,000 American males, none of whom had similar eye problems before becoming regular users of common ED medications such as Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and Stendra.
The results were published in JAMA Ophthalmology Thursday.
โAlthough we found an elevated risk, the risk in absolute terms is not very large. We report that as about 15 per 10,000 patients,โ said Dr. Mahyar Etminan, associate professor in the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the UBCโs faculty of medicine.
That being said, reiterated Etminan, the research shows a very small absolute number of patients who take ED medication develop those eye diseases. But multiplied by 20 million prescriptions per month, itโs something that users should be aware of.
V E R S U S
The results: Among the 194 men (79.5%) who completed the study, no significant differences were found between treatment and placebo groups on electroretinography, visual function tests, measurements of IOP or assessments of the anatomy of the eye. Our results indicate that there is no cumulative damage or effect of clinical significance for either 5mg of tadalafil or 50mg of sildenafil taken daily for six months, they conclude.
Cabinmoon, common man, do you have any better information?