Vardenafil Improves Erectile Function in Depressed Men
December 18, 2007 6:37 pm LevitraVardenafil improves erectile function and depression in men with both disorders, according to a report in the January American Journal of Psychiatry.
Although depression is common among men with erectile dysfunction, the authors explain, previous studies have not investigated the potential mental health benefits of phosphodiesterase inhibitor therapy in men with erectile dysfunction.
Dr. Raymond Rosen from UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey and colleagues evaluated the efficacy of vardenafil in the treatment of 280 men with erectile dysfunction and clinically diagnosed but untreated mild major depressive disorder. The subjects were assigned to vardenafil or placebo for 12 weeks.
All erectile function parameters improved significantly with vardenafil treatment, the authors report. Vardenafil treatment was associated with significant improvements in intercourse satisfaction, orgasmic function, overall satisfaction, and sexual desire, the results indicate.
Compared with the placebo group, men treated with vardenafil were 1.5 times more likely to achieve vaginal penetration on the first attempt and 1.8 times more likely to maintain an erection to completion of intercourse on the first attempt.
Depression scores improved significantly during treatment with vardenafil, the researchers note, and significantly more patients treated with vardenafil (58%) experienced a remission of depressive symptoms than did patients treated with placebo (32%).
Treatment with vardenafil was the most significant predictor of erection normalization, the report indicates, and there was a positive correlation between remission of depression and normalization of erection.
“The results presented here suggest that vardenafil treatment can improve depressive symptoms in men with comorbid erectile dysfunction and mild major depressive disorder, independent of whether erectile dysfunction was causally related to their depression,” the authors conclude.
“This reinforces the concept that treatment of physical symptoms in depression can enhance treatment outcomes and overall quality of life and reduce the risk of relapse.”