ED agent improves sexual pleasure in both partners

More than one-half of all men older than age 40 years are estimated to have some degree of ED. Yet, only 10% of the approximately 30 million men affected in the United States seek treatment for the condition. For the majority of those who do, PDE-5 inhibitors-sildenafil citrate (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), and vardenafil-are recognized as first-line therapy for ED management.

"In this report, the role and impact of the partner is highlighted and clearly shows that effective treatment of male erectile dysfunction yields measurable improvements in partner sexual satisfaction," said study co-author Gerald Brock, MD, associate professor of urology at St. Joseph's Medical Center, Lawson Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada. "While often ignored, ultimately successful erectile dysfunction treatment satisfaction of the male requires that the partner obtains an enhanced experience as well."

Primary efficacy endpoints were mean patient success rate of erection maintenance for satisfactory completion of intercourse (sexual encounter profile [SEP]-3) and improvement of the partner's sexual quality of life, measured as the QoL domain on the modified Sexual Life Quality Questionnaire (mSLQQ-QoL).

Secondary endpoints-confidence, ease of erection, pleasure, and satisfaction of erectile function, orgasm, and medication-included responses to a treatment satisfaction scale (TSS) developed and validated in three previous trials.

Mean baseline erectile function domains were 13.2 and 13.5 (ie, moderate ED) in the placebo and vardenafil groups, respectively. The investigators reported that vardenafil significantly improved overall mean patient SEP-3 success rates (68%; baseline, 20%), compared with placebo (28%; baseline, 21%, p<.0001), as well as partner mSLQQ-QoL (66%; baseline, 28% vs. 32%; baseline, 26%, respectively; p<.0001, last observation carried forward).

Several domains improved Vardenafil, compared with placebo, improved all TSS domains in a clinically and statistically significant manner:

In general, vardenafil was well tolerated. Flushing, headache, nasal congestion, and dyspepsia were the most frequently reported adverse events.