Patient preference and satisfaction in erectile dysfunction therapy: a comparison of the three phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors sildenafil, vardenafil and tadalafil

Figures & data

Figure 1 How decisions are made in clinical practice.

Figure 2 Factors affecting preference for a PDE5 inhibitor.

Table 1 Pharmacokinetics of the three PDE5 inhibitors¹⁴

Drug	Tmax (h)a	Earliest onset of action (min)	T1/2 (h)b	Duration of effect (h)	Recommended dosing time (h) prior to intercourse
Sildenafil 100 mg	1	30	4	4–6 (up to 12)	1
Tadalafil 20 mg	2	20	17.5	24–36 (up to72)	0.5–12
Vardenafil 20 mg	0.7	10	4.5	5–7 (up to 12)	0.5–1

a T_max time needed to reach maximum plasma concentration (C_max), which corresponds to onset of action.

b T_1/2 half-life, which corresponds to duration of efficacy.

Table 2 Side effects of PDE5 inhibitors¹⁷

Side effect	Sildenafil	Vardenafil	Tadalafil
Headache	14.6%	14.5%	14%
Flush	14.1%	11.1%	4%
Dyspepsia	6.2%	3.7%	10%
Rhinitis	2.6%	9.2%	5%
Back pain	0%	0%	6%
Visual disturbances	5.2%	0%	0%

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