Erectile dysfunction from mechanisms to medicines with a focus on the application of topical Minoxidil

Abstract

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED), for multifactorial reasons, is one of the biggest current quandaries among men worldwide and results in other complications such as reduced quality of life of the patient and his sexual partner, impotence, and psychiatric problems.

Objectives: Understanding of disease etiology, penile anatomy, erectile physiology, therapeutic mechanisms, and effective molecular pathways all play key roles in determining a therapeutic approach. This project is based on the study of topical minoxidil's effectiveness in treating ED.

Methods: To perform a comprehensive overview of the subject, we performed a triple-keyword combination search to assess recent studies of ED.

Results: The most common formulation used in these studies was 2% minoxidil solution. Except for cases studied in paralytic patients, topical treatment with minoxidil appears to elicit a mild erectile response; however, this finding is insufficient to confirm the effectiveness of this topical treatment.

Conclusions: Although evidence to confirm the therapeutic properties of minoxidil in ED is limited, combination therapy and the use of modern formulations of minoxidil are promising options for treating ED in the future.

Keywords: erectile dysfunction; impotence; minoxidil; topical therapy; transdermal formulation.