Past, present, and future: a 7-year update of Viagra (sildenafil citrate).
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic search or synthesis methodology.
PubMed 15924597 · doi:10.1111/j.1368-5031.2005.00578.x
What was done
This narrative review summarizes epidemiological data on erectile dysfunction (ED) and assesses the 7-year history, safety, efficacy, and clinical impact of sildenafil citrate since its 1998 approval.
What was found
The abstract reports that ED affects over 30 million men in the United States and over 150 million worldwide (projected to exceed 300 million by 2025). ED prevalence ranges from 7% in men aged 18–29 years to 85% in men aged 76–85 years. Among men with ED aged 18 and older, 68% have at least one comorbid condition (hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, or depression). In its first 7 years, sildenafil was prescribed by over 750,000 physicians to more than 23 million men. Specific trial-level efficacy metrics, relative risks, or adverse event rates are not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
It provides a broad retrospective on the clinical adoption, epidemiological context, and general safety record of the first phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor introduced for erectile dysfunction.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks a systematic literature search, formal inclusion/exclusion criteria, and risk of bias assessment. The abstract reports high-level prescribing figures and epidemiology rather than quantitative outcome data or pooled effect sizes from primary clinical trials.
Cited by
- supports There are approximately 30 million men with erectile dysfunction in the United States.