Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38772539›Full record

ArticleThe world journal of men's health2025

Antioxidant Supplementation for Erectile Dysfunction: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trials.

Ranjith Ramasamy, Samir Bhattacharyya, Taylor P Kohn, Larry E Miller

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The world journal of men's health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Ranjith RamasamyDesai Sethi Urology Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1387-7904
Samir BhattacharyyaBoston Scientific, Marlborough, MA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2534-0702
Taylor P KohnDesai Sethi Urology Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2807-4998
Larry E MillerDepartment of Biostatistics, Miller Scientific, Johnson City, TN, USA. larry@millerscientific.com.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1594-1885

Funding

Boston Scientific
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis meta-analysis aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of antioxidant supplementation for treating erectile dysfunction (ED). MATERIALS AND

methodsWe systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials of oral antioxidant supplementation in men with ED. Erectile function was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-Erectile Function domain (IIEF-EF) score. Using random-effects meta-analysis models, antioxidant and placebo groups were compared for erectile function using the mean difference in IIEF-EF score adjusted to a 6-30 scale and for side effects using the log risk ratio.

resultsThe review included 23 trials of 1,583 men (median age 51 years) treated with antioxidant supplementation or placebo for a median of 12 weeks (range, 4 weeks to 6 months). Antioxidant supplementation significantly improved erectile function compared to placebo, with a mean difference of 5.5 points (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.7 to 7.3; p<0.001) on the IIEF-EF. In meta-regression, the treatment benefit was greater in men with more severe ED (p<0.001). Side effects were uncommon, none were serious, and the frequency was comparable between antioxidant (3.8%) and placebo (2.1%) groups (log risk ratio=0.36; 95% CI: -0.24 to 0.97; p=0.24).

conclusionsAntioxidant supplementation appears safe and significantly improves erectile function in men with ED, particularly those with more severe symptoms. Limitations of this review included unknown long-term efficacy and safety and the inability to make specific product and dosing recommendations due to the variety of antioxidants and regimens studied.

Indexed as

AntioxidantsErectile dysfunctionMeta-analysisRandomized controlled trialSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID38772539
PMCPMC11704162

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.