Tadalafil use tied to 22% higher glaucoma risk in 74,000-man study

September 7, 2026 at 12:06 PM1 min

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Men prescribed tadalafil (Cialis) for enlarged prostate symptoms were 22% more likely to develop glaucoma over five years, a study of 73,854 men found. The risk was higher even after matching for age, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Researchers suggest closer eye monitoring for long-term users.

Key Facts

The study included 73,854 men aged 40 or older from the TriNetX Analytics Network, half prescribed tadalafil or another PDE5i for up to five years between January 2012 and December 2022.
Men prescribed tadalafil were 22% more likely to develop glaucoma than matched men not receiving the medication.
The findings were published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
Tadalafil belongs to the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) class, which also includes sildenafil (Viagra).

Study Design

Researchers analyzed anonymized health records from 73,854 men aged 40 or older in the TriNetX Analytics Network Global Collaborative Network. Half had been prescribed tadalafil or another PDE5i for up to five years, between January 2012 and December 2022, to manage lower urinary tract symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia. The two groups were matched on age, ethnicity, smoking, alcohol-related disorders, prescribed medications, and conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, high cholesterol, kidney function, obesity, and COPD. Researchers compared how often participants developed glaucoma or ocular hypertension and began glaucoma treatment after five years.

Glaucoma Risk Findings

Men prescribed tadalafil were 22% more likely to develop glaucoma than men who had not received the medication. They were also more likely to develop several related conditions, including ocular hypertension. Previous research has linked PDE5i medications to optic nerve and macular disorders, but evidence on glaucoma had been inconsistent. The authors suggest that men using tadalafil long-term for urinary symptoms may benefit from closer eye monitoring, especially those with glaucoma risk factors such as family history or ocular hypertension.