Direct comparison of tadalafil with sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a major care problem worldwide. Tadalafil and sildenafil are the two most common phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors used to treat ED. This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to directly compare tadalafil with sildenafil for the treatment of ED. METHODS: We designed a strategy for searching the PubMed, Embase, EBSCO, Web of Science and Cochrane library databases; the reference lists of the retrieved studies were also investigated. A literature review was performed to identify all published randomized or non-randomized controlled trials that compared tadalafil with sildenafil for the treatment of ED and to assess the quality of the studies. Two investigators independently and blindly screened the studies for inclusion. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.0. RESULTS: A total of 16 trials that compared tadalafil with sildenafil for the treatment of ED were included in the meta-analysis. In the meta-analysis, tadalafil and sildenafil appeared to have similar efficacies and overall adverse event rates. However, compared with sildenafil, tadalafil significantly improved psychological outcomes. Furthermore, the patients and their partners preferred tadalafil over sildenafil, and no significant difference was found in the adherence and persistence rates between tadalafil and sildenafil. Additionally, the myalgia and back pain rates were higher and the flushing rate was lower with tadalafil than with sildenafil. CONCLUSION: Tadalafil shares a similar efficacy and safety with sildenafil and significantly improves patients’ sexual confidence. Furthermore, patients and their partners prefer tadalafil to sildenafil. Hence, tadalafil may be a better choice for ED treatment.