Epidemiologic data in adult men exhibit a strong relationship between erectile dysfunction (ED) and lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH), indicating that men affected by ED should also be investigated for LUTS/BPH and those presenting with storage or voiding LUTS should be investigated for co-morbid ED. Common pathophysiolgical mechanisms underlying both LUTS/BPH and ED, including alteration of NO/cGMP or RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling and/or vascular or neurogenic dysfunction, are potential targets for proposed phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5-Is). Several randomized controlled trials and only a few reviews including all commercially available PDE5-Is demonstrated the safety and efficacy of these drugs in the improvement of erectile function and urinary symptoms, in patients affected either by ED, LUTS, or both conditions.
Keywords: BPH; Benign prostatic hyperplasia; ED; Erectile dysfunction; IIEF; IPSS; LUTS; Lower urinary tract symptoms; PDE5; PDE5-I; Prostate.