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Correlations between increased erection hardness and improvements in emotional well-being and satisfaction outcomes in men treated with sildenafil citrate for erectile dysfunction

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 19, pages 398–406 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

To explore relationships between erection hardness and other outcomes in men with erectile dysfunction (ED). Pooled analyses were conducted on 27 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials and six open-label trials from the worldwide sildenafil database. Outcomes included erection hardness graded subjectively, hardness and sexual satisfaction questions from the International Index of Erectile Function, general and sexually-specific emotional well-being from the self-esteem and relationship questionnaire, and the erectile dysfunction inventory of treatment satisfaction. Hardness outcomes improved (with a possible dose–response relationship for the achievement of fully hard and rigid erections) and correlated positively with the other outcomes. Sildenafil 100 mg produced optimal erection hardness (fully hard and rigid erections) in a substantial proportion of men with ED. Because optimal erection hardness correlated positively with some emotional well-being and satisfaction outcomes, sildenafil 100 mg may be the most appropriate dosage for treatment of ED for most men.

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Acknowledgements

This study was sponsored by Pfizer Inc. Editorial support was provided by Deborah Campoli-Richards, RPh, at Complete Healthcare Communications, Inc., and was funded by Pfizer Inc.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sydney Centre for Sex and Relationship Therapy, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    R King

  2. Klinikum der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    K-P Juenemann

  3. Pfizer Inc, New York, NY, USA

    I P Levinson & V J Stecher

  4. Contractor to Pfizer Inc, New York, NY, USA

    D L Creanga

Authors
  1. R King
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  2. K-P Juenemann
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  3. I P Levinson
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  4. V J Stecher
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  5. D L Creanga
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to R King.

Additional information

Author disclosures: Dr. Rosie King has served as advisor, consultant, lecturer and investigator for Pfizer Inc. Dr. Klaus-Peter Juenemann has nothing to disclose. Ivan P Levinson and Vera J Stecher are employees of Pfizer Inc. Dana L Creanga is a contractor to Pfizer Inc.

Financial support: The research reported was supported by Pfizer Inc.

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King, R., Juenemann, KP., Levinson, I. et al. Correlations between increased erection hardness and improvements in emotional well-being and satisfaction outcomes in men treated with sildenafil citrate for erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res 19, 398–406 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901549

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901549

Keywords

  • erectile dysfunction
  • satisfaction
  • sildenafil citrate

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