Table 1 Summary of studies evaluating the effects of PDE5i on retinal blood flow and vasculature
From: The effect of sildenafil on retinal blood velocity in healthy subjects
Author [REF] | Year | Subjects | Method | Conclusion | Overall Demonstrated Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sponsel et al. [34] | 2000 | 12 healthy subjects | Ocular pulse wave tonometer and Doppler flowmetry | Increase in pulsatile ocular blood flow 110 min following administration of 50 mg of Sildenafil | Increased flow |
Pache et al. [13] | 2002 | 10 healthy subjects | Retinal vessel analyzer | Increase in retinal arterial and venous diameters 30 min only following administration of 50 mg of Sildenafil, with return to baseline after 120 min | Arterial and venous dilation |
Grunwald et al. [35] | 2002 | 15 healthy male subjects | Monochromatic fundus photography | No change in superior and inferior venous diameter or the retinal temporal artery diameter 1 or 5 h following administration of 100 mg of Sildenafil | No effect |
Polak et al. [14] | 2003 | 12 healthy male subjects | Retinal vessel analyzer and bidirectional laser Doppler flowmetry | No effect on retinal blood velocity or retinal arterial diameter and an increase in retinal venous diameter and flow following administration of 100 mg of Sildenafil | Venous dilation, arteries and velocity unaffected |
Metelitsina et al. [15] | 2006 | 14 male patients with age-related macular degeneration | Monochromatic fundus photographs | Dilatation of major retinal veins 90, 180 and 300 min following administration of 100 mg of Sildenafil | Venous dilation |