[Phosphodiesterase inhibitors: effectiveness and new applications].

Three different phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are currently available for the treatment of erectile dysfunction: sildenafil, vardenafil and tadalafil. The differences between these 3 are limited: tadalafil has a long duration of action, while vardenafil has a rapid onset of action after intake. Various studies have suggested that there is an improvement in the partners' sex lives when men use a PDE5 inhibitor for erectile dysfunction. The introduction of PDE5 inhibitors has renewed the interest in PDE inhibitors in general, for example in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. In the near future PDE inhibitors may be used for various disorders as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, benign prostatic hyperplasia, hypertension and coronary heart disease.