Men who take the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis daily to treat an enlarged prostate may face a higher risk of developing glaucoma, according to a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
Researchers analyzed medical records from the TriNetX Analytics Network covering more than 70,000 males ages 40 and older, none of whom had a prior history of glaucoma. Between January 2012 and December 2022, half of the participants received tadalafil, the generic name for Cialis, for urinary tract symptoms for up to five years. The study found that long-term daily use was associated with a higher likelihood of developing glaucoma, a vision-threatening eye disease.
According to reporting by Healthline, experts not involved in the study said the overall risk remains low. S. Adam Ramin, MD, a urologist and medical director of Urology Cancer Specialists in Los Angeles, said the drug has been prescribed for years to manage urinary tract issues. "The risk is relatively small, but it's important to discuss this with patients," Ramin said. He added that men who take Cialis only occasionally for erectile dysfunction should not be alarmed because they are not using the medication daily.
Craig Comiter, MD, a professor of urology at Stanford University, put a number to it. "It's important to note that the absolute risk was less than 1% greater with daily tadalafil," Comiter said. He also addressed whether men with existing risk factors need to change their monitoring habits. "For certain, someone with a family history or pre-existing glaucoma or other risk factors should be monitored with ophthalmologic care," Comiter said. "It's not obvious that taking this drug changes the required monitoring."
Glaucoma risk factors include a family history of the disease and ocular hypertension, a condition that causes elevated pressure inside the eye. The researchers say that patients taking tadalafil daily over the long term should receive regular eye exams, particularly if those risk factors are present.
Tadalafil belongs to a class of medications that also includes sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, erectile dysfunction drugs such as tadalafil and sildenafil may cause relatively minor vision problems including light sensitivity, blurry vision, a blue-green tint to vision, and decreased color vision.
Eli Lilly and Company, the manufacturer of Cialis, could not be reached for comment.
