Role of the Triglyceride-Glucose Index as a Predictor of Therapeutic Response to Tadalafil in Patients With Erectile Dysfunction

Introduction: The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is an easily calculable indicator of endothelial dysfunction. We aimed to evaluate the effect of the TyG index on treatment response in patients using tadalafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Methods: The data of patients who used tadalafil for ED in our urology clinic between January 2018 and January 2023 were reviewed. The patients completed the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire before treatment and in the 3rd month of treatment. Response to tadalafil treatment was accepted as an increase in IIEF category. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to treatment response. Factors affecting response to treatment were evaluated with a multivariate analysis. Results: Of the 134 patients included in the study, 99 (73.3%) responded to tadalafil treatment. Mean age and body mass index (BMI) of the patient group responding to treatment were significantly lower than in the untreated group. The rates of diabetes mellitus (DM) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) were significantly lower in the group responding to treatment. Fasting glucose, triglyceride and total cholesterol values were significantly lower in the group responding to treatment than in the treatment-resistant group. The TyG index was 130.0 (102.0-180.0) in the group responding to treatment and 245.0 (182.0-320.0) in the treatment-resistant group (p=0.001). In the multivariate analysis, age, BMI, DM, MetS, and TyG index were affecting treatment response. Conclusion: A high TyG index negatively affects the response to treatment in patients using tadalafil for ED. In addition, age, BMI, presence of DM and MetS are other factors affecting the response to treatment.