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Nebivolol versus other beta blockers in patients with hypertension and erectile dysfunction

Randall P Sharp1, Barry J Gales2

  • 1College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 100 Campus Drive Weatherford, OK 73096, USA.

Therapeutic Advances in Urology
|February 17, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Nebivolol, a beta blocker, may improve erectile dysfunction (ED) in hypertensive men. Studies suggest it might be a better choice than other beta blockers for patients with both hypertension and ED.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Urology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects over 100 million men globally.
  • Hypertension is a common comorbidity with ED.
  • Beta blockers, a class of antihypertensive drugs, are associated with ED incidence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate nebivolol's efficacy and safety in patients with hypertension and ED.
  • To compare nebivolol's effects on erectile function against other beta blockers.

Main Methods:

  • A literature search was conducted for European studies comparing nebivolol with other beta blockers.
  • Four studies of limited duration were identified, with the longest being 28 weeks.
  • Erectile function was assessed using survey scores.

Main Results:

  • Two studies showed significant improvement in erectile function with nebivolol.
  • Two studies indicated that erectile function did not significantly worsen with nebivolol compared to other beta blockers.
  • One study suggested improved erectile function scores potentially due to a Hawthorne effect.

Conclusions:

  • Nebivolol may be beneficial for hypertensive patients with or at risk of ED.
  • It could be a suitable option when a beta blocker is specifically desired as add-on antihypertensive therapy.
  • Further research may be warranted due to the limited sample size and study durations.

Keywords:
beta adrenergic blockerserectile dysfunctionnebivolol

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