Risk for Adverse Ocular Events When Using Erectile Dysfunction Drugs

In the original clinical trials that led to U.S. FDA approval of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors for erectile dysfunction, researchers did not detect excess risk for adverse ocular events; however, subsequent case reports and small studies have raised concerns. In this postmarketing case-control study, investigators used a large health claims database to identify 1146 patients who received diagnoses for one of three ocular events — ischemic optic neuropathy, retinal vascular occlusion, or serous retinal detachment (i.e., fluid accumulation under the retina, without a tear). Each case-patient was age-matched with several controls who didn't receive these ocular diagnoses. Regular use of PDE5 inhibitors (i.e., sildenafil, tadalafil, var…