Erectile Dysfunction Drug Controls Blood Sugar Level in Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes patients had significant improvement in their long-term blood sugar levels when treated with high-dose tadalafil, a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction. The results of this pilot study from the University of Gothenburg are published in the journal EClinicalMedicine. Tadalafil belongs to a group of drugs known as PDE5 (phosphodiesterase type 5) inhibitors, it also includes the well-known drug Viagra. PDE5 inhibitors are used to treat impotence or erectile dysfunction (ED) (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Feasibility of high-dose tadalafil and effects on insulin resistance in well-controlled patients with type 2 diabetes (MAKROTAD): a single-centre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, cross-over phase 2 trial

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Tadalafil increases blood flow in skeletal muscle, heart, and adipose tissue. This present study also shows increased blood flow and a favorable effect in the liver, where an established marker of fatty liver decreased during the drug treatment, compared with the placebo.

PDE5 inhibitors are only available on prescription, and must always be prescribed by the attending physician. Unlike the other three PDE5 inhibitors that are approved, tadalafil is long-acting and can be prescribed as a daily dose.

Efficacy of Tadalafil Once Daily in Men with Diabetes Mellitus and Erectile Dysfunction

The study comprised 18 participants, 12 men, and 6 postmenopausal women. In this randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, they were all first assigned by random selection to receive either a high daily dose (20 mg) of the active substance tadalafil or a placebo for six weeks.

After an eight-week break, they were then given the other option for six weeks. The study participants thus served as their controls. Since tadalafil has many known side effects (including headache, heartburn, diarrhea, muscle and back pain, low blood pressure, nasal congestion, tinnitus, and blurred vision), they were closely monitored.

The results of the study showed that there was no discernible difference compared with the placebo. On the other hand, tadalafil caused a clear improvement in metabolic control, based on measurements of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in blood samples (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Efficacy of tadalafil once daily in men with diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction

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The HbA1c level is precisely monitored in blood samples from patients who are undergoing treatment for type 2 diabetes. The higher the HbA1c value, the greater the risk of complications, including microvascular damage to the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

Tadalafil can be given for type 2 diabetes men patients with ED. More than 70 percent of men with obesity and type 2 diabetes develop ED. However, the results from the pilot study need to be repeated in a larger study where more patients are treated for a longer period, which the University of Gothenburg research group is now considering.

References:

1. Feasibility of high-dose tadalafil and effects on insulin resistance in well-controlled patients with type 2 diabetes (MAKROTAD): a single-centre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, cross-over phase 2 trial - (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(23)00162-1/fulltext)
2. Efficacy of tadalafil once daily in men with diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18290855/)

Source-Eurekalert