How to optimise treatment of erectile dysfunction above and beyond the beneficial effects of a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor

The introduction in 1998 of the phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors has changed the landscape of diagnosis and, in particular, the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). It has paved the road for a more profound insight into ED. ED and other ailments of elderly men, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and lower urinary tract symptoms were usually regarded as distinct diagnostic/therapeutic entities, but there is growing evidence that they are interrelated and are factors in ED. To optimise the treatment of ED, an integral approach to the health of the ageing male is required. There is an interdependence between the metabolic syndrome, ED and patterns of testosterone in ageing men. The main features of the metabolic syndrome are abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidaemia, significant factors in the aetiology of erectile function. The metabolic syndrome is associated with lower-than-normal testosterone levels. Testosterone is a determinant of glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Testosterone is not only a factor in libido but also exerts essential effects on the anatomical and physiological substrate of penile erection. With these recent insights, the health problems of elderly men must be placed in a context that allows an integral approach. While PDE-5 inhibitors are the mainstay of treatment of men with ED, treatment of testosterone deficiency is becoming part and parcel of a new approach to both ED and the metabolic syndrome. The diagnostic work-up of ED should comprise measurement of plasma testosterone. If proven deficient, treatment with testosterone is indicated.