Nebivolol compared with metoprolol for erectile function in males undergoing coronary artery bypass graft

Effect of nebivolol on erectile function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Historically, β-blockers have been associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). Nebivolol, a third-generation β-blocker, may have had no negative effect on erectile function because of its vasodilating properties. However, the evidence level was considered either as low or very low.

AIM

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to determine the effect of nebivolol on erectile function.

METHODS

All published RCTs were searched through PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase until October 2023. Review Manager version 5.3.0 was used for statistical analysis. Sensitivity analyses were performed by excluding each study using Stata 17 software.

OUTCOMES

The primary outcome was the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-5 score. We excluded publication types, including letters, reviews, and meta-analyses.

RESULTS

We identified four RCTs in this meta-analysis. All included studies compared the effects of nebivolol vs metoprolol on erectile function. Eight parallel groups with 397 individuals reported IIEF-5 scores. A random-effect model revealed that the IIEF-5 score was significantly higher in the nebivolol group (MD 1.81, 95%CI 0.95-2.68, P < .0001, I2 = 99%). We conducted a sensitivity analysis by removing each individual study and observed that there was no significantly different result. Furthermore, we conducted a prespecified subgroup analysis based on the dosage of metoprolol, patients with ED at the time of enrollment, and disease type. Subgroup analysis revealed that heterogeneity significantly decreased, and the result of the IIEF-5 score was stable and consistent.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Our results provides stronger evidence that nebivolol significantly reduced the risk of ED occurrence or progression.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

Our meta-analysis included high-quality RCTs and conducted a predetermined subgroup analysis. However, the main limitations are the limited number of included studies and their heterogeneity.

CONCLUSION

Our meta-analysis provided stronger evidence that nebivolol significantly reduced the risk of ED occurrence or progression compared with metoprolol, irrespective of whether the patient had ED or not. This meta-analysis could serve as an important reference for future studies in this field.

Anti-hypertensive medications and erectile dysfunction: focus on β-blockers

PURPOSE

Although anti-hypertensive medications, including thiazides and β-blockers (BBs) in particular, have been suggested to cause erectile dysfunction (ED) their real contribution is still conflicting. The aim of this paper is to summarize available evidence providing an evidence-based critical analysis of the topic.

METHODS

An overall comprehensive narrative review was performed using Medline, Embase and Cochrane search. In addition, to better understand the impact of BBs on ED a specific systematic review was also performed.

RESULTS

The negative role of centrally acting drugs, such as clonidine and α-methyldopa, is well documented althuogh limited controlled trials are available. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and calcium-channel-blockers (CCBs) have neutral (CCBs) or even positive (ACEis and ARBs) effects on erectile function. Despite some preliminary negative reports, more recent evidence does not confirm the negative impact of thiazides. BBs should be still considered the class of medications more often associated with ED, although better outcomes can be drawn with nebivolol.

CONCLUSION

Sexual function should be assessed in all patients with arterial hypertension, either at diagnosis or after the prescription of specific medications. A close related patient-physician interaction and discussion can overcome possible negative outcomes allowing a successful management of possible side effects.

Effects of Major Antihypertensive Drug Classes on Erectile Function: a Network Meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To determine the effect of major antihypertensive classes on erectile function (EF) in patients with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review and frequentist network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, β-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and thiazide diuretics on EF compared to each other and to placebo (PROSPERO: CRD42020189529). Similarly, we performed a network meta-analysis to explore the effect of different β-blockers on erectile function (nebivolol, other vasodilating and non-vasodilating β-blockers, placebo). Records were identified through search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases and sources of grey literature until September 2020.

RESULTS

We included 25 studies (7784 patients) in the qualitative and 16 studies in the quantitative synthesis. The risk of bias was concerning or high in the majority of studies, and inconsistency was also high. No significant differences in EF were demonstrated in the pairwise comparisons between major antihypertensive classes. Similarly, when placebo was set as the reference treatment group, no treatment strategy yielded significant effects on EF. In the β-blockers analysis, nebivolol contributed a beneficial effect on EF only when compared to non-vasodilatory β-blockers (OR 2.92, 95%CI 1.3-6.5) and not when compared to placebo (OR 2.87, 95%CI 0.75-11.04) or to other vasodilatory β-blockers (OR 2.15, 95%CI 0.6-7.77).

CONCLUSION

All antihypertensive medication classes seem to exert neutral or insignificant effects on EF. Further high-quality studies are needed to better explore the effects of antihypertensive medication on EF.