Tadalafil improves erectile dysfunction and quality of life in men with cirrhosis: a randomized double blind placebo controlled trial

Background and aims Patients with cirrhosis have high prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED). The aim of this study was to study the efficacy and safety of tadalafil for ED in patients with cirrhosis. Methods 140 cirrhotic males with ED were randomized into tadalafil 10 mg daily ( n = 70) or placebo ( n = 70) for 12 weeks. ED was diagnosed if erectile function (EF) domain score was 5 points in EF domain of the IIEF. Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) questionnaire was used for screening and severity measuring of GAD. The presence of depression was screened using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the assessment of health related quality of life was done using the Short Form (36) Health Survey. Results At the end of 12 weeks, more patients in tadalafil group achieved > 5 points increase in the EF domain of the IIEF when compared with the placebo group [44(62.9%) vs. 21(30%), p