A research team at Myongji Hospital has proved that taking a low dose (5 mg) of tadalafil, an erectile dysfunction drug, effectively controls blood sugar.

According to Myongji researchers, chronic hyperglycemia caused by insufficient insulin secretion or dysfunction, a characteristic of diabetes, is a metabolic disease that is a common cause of erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction occurs in 39 percent of diabetic patients, and 14 percent of patients with erectile dysfunction have diabetes.

The research team conducted the study based on the abstract that tadalafil increases nitric oxide and inhibits the enzyme type 5 phosphodiesterase (PED-5) that breaks down cyclic monophosphate guanosine thereby affecting blood sugar control.

In the study, participated in by 68 patients, the researchers prescribed a low dose of tadalafil (5 mg) daily to 45 male patients aged 35 to 75 with a history of type 2 diabetes and erectile, and the remaining 23 control subjects with placebo for six months and measured glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).

They found a significant difference in the average HbA1c between the two groups.

Professor Kim Sae-chul of the Department of Urology led the study.

The researchers confirmed that while the decrease rate of HbA1c after six months was 0.137 percent in the tadalafil group, it increased by 0.196 percent in the control group.

Fasting blood sugar (FPG) also decreased by 6.4 mg/dL in the tadalafil group, improving blood sugar levels.

“The study has confirmed that long-term use of low doses of tadalafil, an erectile dysfunction drug, effectively controls blood sugar and improves erectile function in patients with type 2 diabetes and erectile dysfunction,” Professor Kim said. “We will expand and observe the study to more patients in the future to focus on solving diabetes and sexual dysfunction.”

Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome published the result of the study in its latest issue.