Efficacy of tadalafil on improvement of men with erectile dysfunction caused by COVID-19: A randomized placebo-controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: According to the high prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the subsequent risk of men's sexual health, we decided to investigate the efficacy of tadalafil on improvement of men with erectile dysfunction caused by COVID-19. METHODS: In this study, 70 outpatients who were recovered from COVID-19 without acute respiratory distress syndrome with negative polymerase chain reaction test and a complaint of erectile dysfunction were divided into two groups: 35 patients who received tadalafil 5 mg daily and 35 who received placebo. For each patient, basic assessment of sexual function was performed using the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire. Then, treatment was started from 2 months after complete recovery of COVID-19 with negative polymerase chain reaction test for 3 months. At the end of the treatments, the patients were re-evaluated for sexual function using the complete version of IIEF questionnaire. Finally, the results before and after treatment in the intervention group were compared with those of the control group. RESULTS: Treatment with both tadalafil and placebo improved the patients' sexual function criteria compared to the baseline. However, this improvement was significantly higher in the intervention group with tadalafil than the control group with placebo (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Daily administration of tadalafil 5 mg seems to be effective and safe for improvement of erectile dysfunction caused by COVID-19.