Penile blood pressure may indicate Tadalafil response in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients

This study looked at using penile blood pressure to determine whether Tadalafil (Cialis) would be successful in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia. This study found that penile blood pressure could indicate whether Tadalafil could successfully treat benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. An enlarged prostate can affect bladder function and have a negative impact on quality of life. Treatments for BPH may include medication or surgery. Medications for BPH often result in many side effects while surgery can lead to complications.

Tadalafil is a drug that relaxes blood vessels to improve blood flow. It is usually prescribed for erectile dysfunction. Some patients with BPH do not benefit from Tadalafil treatment however, so there is a need to test for suitability.

Penile blood pressure can be connected to penile blood flow. Penile blood flow affects lower urinary symptoms. Therefore, penile blood pressure could be used to predict if Tadalafil treatment will be successful for BPH.

51 men who responded poorly to alpha-1 blockers (a type of drug used to shrink the prostate) were included and studied for approximately 2 years. Penile blood pressure was measured at the beginning, week 4 and week 12 after Tadalafil treatment. Patients were divided into a low penile blood pressure group and a high penile blood pressure group. Prostate symptoms were measured at the beginning of the study, week 4 and week 12 of Tadalafil treatment. Prostate symptoms were then compared between the low and the high penile blood pressure groups.

 In the low penile blood pressure group, prostate symptom score improved significantly from the beginning of Tadalafil treatment and through the 12 weeks. There was no significant change in the high penile blood pressure group. Penile blood pressure, drugs for bladder symptoms, and prostate symptoms before treatment were found to affect whether or not Tadalafil treatment will work for BPH.

This study concluded that BPH patients with a lower penile blood pressure would respond better to Tadalafil treatment than patients with higher penile blood pressure.

The authors note that there are some limitations in the study. The number of patients included is small and may affect results. 

If you are interested in Tadalafil treatment for BPH, contact your doctor.