Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common issue among young men, with about 1 in 4 men under 40 seeking help for it. While many think that ED in younger men is mostly psychological, some young men experience severe cases. Treatment usually starts with lifestyle changes, followed by oral ED medications like tadalafil, which is preferred because it lasts longer in the body.

Tadalafil can be taken either before sex or daily, offering flexibility for men who prefer not to plan their sexual activity. Daily use may help young men regain confidence and a satisfying sex life. However, it’s not clear what factors help these men recover normal erectile function without needing medication after stopping tadalafil. A new study aimed to find out how common it is for young men to recover their erectile function on their own after using tadalafil daily and what factors might influence this recovery.

To understand how tadalafil helps young men with ED, researchers studied 125 men under 50 who were new to this treatment. All participants had normal blood flow to the penis and were prescribed a daily dose of tadalafil. The researchers collected detailed medical histories, lifestyle habits (like smoking, drinking, and exercise), and measured various health factors such as testosterone levels and body mass index (BMI). They also monitored the men’s erectile function over time, using a questionnaire and blood flow tests.

The men were followed up after 3 months and then every 6 months to see if they could maintain normal erectile function after stopping the medication. The researchers compared those who recovered normal function without the medication to those who didn’t, looking for patterns in their health and lifestyle that might explain the differences.

Out of 125 young men with ED taking daily tadalafil, 96 had follow up data. Among them, 82 (85.4%) recovered their erectile function without medication after stopping tadalafil, while 14 (14.6%) did not. Most patients who recovered did so within 3 to 12 months. Those who didn’t recover were generally older, had higher BMIs, and lower erectile function scores before starting treatment. The study found that younger age was a significant factor in successful recovery, while other factors like smoking, overall health, and testosterone levels didn’t show a strong impact.

This study found that approximately 85% of young men with psychogenic ED were able to maintain erectile function without medication after taking daily tadalafil for 3 months and then stopping. As such, the results of this study suggest that daily tadalafil can be an effective short-term treatment to help restore erectile function, particularly in younger men. However, the study had limitations, including a small sample size and a focus on a specific group of men, which may limit the applicability of the results to a broader population. Further research is needed to confirm these findings in larger, more diverse groups.

References:

• Pozzi, E., Corsini, C., Bertini, A., Belladelli, F., Raffo, M., Negri, F., Cattafi, F., Cilio, S., Boeri, L., Capogrosso, P., & others. (2024). Spontaneous erectile function recovery among young men with erectile dysfunction taking tadalafil 5 mg once a day. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 21(8), 671–675. https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdae064