Vardenafil Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction

Vardenafil is a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitordeveloped for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). ED can be defined as the inability to attain and/or maintain an erection adequate to permit satisfactory sexual performance.1 ED is an important and common problem in the US, affecting 26–52 % of men, depending on the ages surveyed and specific survey design.2-6 Extrapolating these figures to recent population data, it is estimated that 36–49 million men in the US have some degree of ED.7 ED has many causes and may be classified as psycho-genic, organic (neurogenic, hormonal, arterial, cavernosal, or drug induced), or mixed.8 In the MMAS (Massachusetts Male Aging Study), the overall probability of impotence rose with increasing age to approximately 60 % from age 40–70 years.2 The MMAS also reported an increased risk in men with diabetes, heart disease, and/or hypertension. Similarly, in a recent survey of>27 800 men between 20 and 75 years of age,>20 % of men with hypertension, heart trouble, angina, high cholesterol, or depression/anxiety re-ported having ED, and nearly 40 % of those with diabete