Herbal Dietary Supplements for Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Urology

Background:

• Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a prevalent condition impacting quality of life and relationships.
• Herbal dietary supplements are increasingly explored for managing ED.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the efficacy of herbal dietary supplements for treating ED.
• To assess the quality and risk of bias in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of herbal ED treatments.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a systematic literature search across five databases for relevant RCTs.
• Evaluated study quality using the Jadad score and assessed risk of bias with the Cochrane tool.
• Included 24 RCTs involving 2080 patients with ED.

Main Results:

• Ginseng demonstrated a significant improvement in erectile function (IIEF-5 score: SMD 0.43; P < 0.01).
• Pinus pinaster and Lepidium meyenii showed preliminary positive effects; saffron and Tribulus terrestris yielded mixed results.
• Study quality varied, with a median Jadad score of 3/5; adverse events did not differ significantly between groups.

Conclusions:

• Ginseng presents encouraging evidence as an effective herbal treatment for ED.
• Preliminary positive results were observed for some herbal formulations.
• Larger, high-quality studies adhering to reporting guidelines are necessary before recommending herbal products for ED.