Overview
- A Taiwan-led analysis published 4–5 August 2026 used anonymised TriNetX records for 73,854 men aged 40 and over and found tadalafil users had about a 22% higher relative risk of glaucoma over five years compared with matched non-users.
- The study also reported roughly 32% higher risk of ocular hypertension, 33% higher risk of primary open-angle glaucoma, and a 33% higher likelihood of starting glaucoma treatment among tadalafil users.
- Authors and independent experts stressed the research is observational and cannot prove cause and effect, noting limits such as inability to track medication changes, new comorbidities during follow-up, and a majority White study population.
- Clinicians quoted in coverage recommended that men taking tadalafil long term—especially those over 50 or with glaucoma risk factors like family history, ocular hypertension, or high myopia—get a baseline eye exam and regular monitoring rather than stopping the drug without clinical advice.
- Tadalafil is a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor used for erectile dysfunction and long-term urinary symptoms, and the finding adds to mixed evidence about PDE5 inhibitors and eye health while prompting calls for mechanistic and prospective studies to confirm or refute the association.