Challenges in Treating Erectile Dysfunction in Diabetic Patients - Review

Erectile dysfunction (ED) represents the persistent inability to achieve or maintain penile erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most frequent aetiology for ED, and in patients with DM, its prevalence is high. Multiple factors contribute to this pathology; the significant role in diabetes-related ED have been considered vascular abnormalities, while the impact of neuropathy has been underestimated. There are many treatment options for ED, the most used being oral therapy with phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE5) inhibitors. Recently, more treatments have been proposed and tested in clinical trials for refractory cases with promising results.