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RecruitingNCT07773103Updated Aug 20, 2026

Endothelial Markers and Tadalafil Response

An observational study in Vasculogenic Erectile Dysfunction, sponsored by Al-Azhar University. Recruiting at 1 site in Egypt. Open to male participants aged 30 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-20.

Sponsored by Al-Azhar University · Observational

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Aug 2026; still recruiting 2 months later.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
120
Ages
30 Years to 70 Years
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

This prospective cohort study will recruit eligible men attending the Urology/Andrology outpatient clinic. Baseline assessment will include demographic and clinical data, cardiovascular risk assessment, erectile-function questionnaires, routine laboratory investigations, brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation, carotid intima-media thickness, and selected circulating endothelial biomarkers including endothelin-1, nitrite/nitrate, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1. All participants will receive tadalafil 5 mg once daily for 12 weeks. Erectile function, adherence, and adverse events will be assessed during follow-up. The primary outcome will be clinical response at 12 weeks, defined as an improvement of at least 4 points in the IIEF-EF domain together with a positive response to the Global Assessment Question.

Read the detailed description

Erectile dysfunction is a common male sexual disorder and is often associated with endothelial dysfunction, impaired nitric oxide bioavailability, inflammation, arterial stiffness, and subclinical atherosclerosis. Because penile arteries are relatively small, vasculogenic erectile dysfunction may appear before overt cardiovascular disease. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation reflects endothelial-dependent vasodilation, carotid intima-media thickness reflects structural vascular change, and circulating endothelial biomarkers may provide additional information about endothelial injury and inflammation.

This prospective observational cohort study will recruit men with predominantly vasculogenic erectile dysfunction attending the Urology/Andrology outpatient clinic. Baseline demographic, clinical, sexual, laboratory, vascular, and biomarker data will be collected before treatment. All participants will receive tadalafil 5 mg once daily for 12 weeks. Erectile function will be measured again at follow-up using the IIEF-EF domain, IIEF-5/SHIM, and the Global Assessment Question. The primary outcome is clinical response at 12 weeks, defined as an improvement of at least 4 points in IIEF-EF together with a positive Global Assessment Question response. The study will also evaluate whether baseline endothelial dysfunction markers improve prediction of tadalafil response beyond standard clinical variables.

02

Conditions studied

  • Vasculogenic Erectile Dysfunction

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03

In context

Erectile Dysfunction

701 studies on the registry are indexed under Erectile Dysfunction; 125 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 120 is close to the median of 130 across 125 observational studies indexed under Erectile Dysfunction.

Browse Erectile Dysfunction studies →

Lead sponsor

Al-Azhar University is the lead sponsor of 531 studies on the registry; 172 are open to participants now.

Of its 5 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 0 (0%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
30 Years to 70 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Consecutive adult men with predominantly vasculogenic erectile dysfunction presenting to the Urology/Andrology outpatient clinic at Al-Hussein and Sayed Galal Hospitals, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt, aged 30 to 70 years and eligible for tadalafil 5 mg once daily.

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants must fulfill all of the following:

    • Men aged 30 to 70 years.
    • ED lasting at least 3 months.
    • IIEF-5/SHIM score of 21 or less or clinically documented ED.
    • Clinical features suggesting predominantly vasculogenic ED.
    • Sexually active or willing to attempt sexual intercourse during the study.
    • Able to complete the study questionnaires.
    • Willing to take tadalafil 5 mg once daily for 12 weeks.
    • Able to provide written .
    • Willing to avoid other ED treatments during the study unless medically necessary.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients will be excluded if they have:

    • ED primarily attributed to psychogenic causes.
    • Predominantly neurogenic ED.
    • Severe untreated hypogonadism likely to be the primary cause of ED.
    • Untreated hyperprolactinemia or another major endocrine disorder.
    • Significant penile anatomical abnormality interfering with intercourse, including severe Peyronie's disease.
    • Previous radical pelvic surgery or pelvic radiotherapy.
    • Active urinary or genital infection.
    • Unstable angina or unstable cardiovascular disease.
    • Recent myocardial infarction or stroke.
    • Uncontrolled hypertension or hypotension.
    • Severe renal impairment requiring an alternative tadalafil regimen.
    • Severe hepatic impairment.
    • Active or expected survival of less than one year.
    • Major psychiatric illness, cognitive impairment or inability to comply with follow-up.
    • Current use of another PDE5 inhibitor or intracavernosal therapy that cannot be discontinued.
    • Concomitant use of organic nitrates, nitric oxide donors or nicorandil.
    • Known to tadalafil.
    • Participation in another study that may affect erectile function or vascular measurements.
    • Refusal or inability to provide .
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(4)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Clinically significant

Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
120 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Tadalafil 5 mg once daily

    Adult men with predominantly vasculogenic erectile dysfunction who are eligible for tadalafil 5 mg once daily and enrolled in this prospective cohort study.

    Drug: Tadalafil 5mg

Interventions

  • All enrolled participants will receive tadalafil 5 mg orally once daily for 12 weeks as part of clinical management.

    Also known as: PDE5 inhibitor

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Clinical response to tadalafil at 12 weeks

    Proportion of participants achieving clinical response, defined as an increase of at least 4 points in the IIEF-EF domain score from baseline together with a positive response to the Global Assessment Question. The IIEF-EF domain scores erectile function on a higher-is-better scale; higher scores indicate better erectile function.

    Time frame: 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in the International Index of Erectile Function erectile function score.

    Change from baseline in the erectile function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-EF). The IIEF-EF domain is a validated erectile function score, with higher values indicating better erectile function.

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 weeks

  2. Change in Erection Hardness Score

    Change from baseline in the Erection Hardness Score, a 4-point scale used to assess penile rigidity during erection. Higher scores indicate firmer erections.

    Time frame: Baseline and12 weeks.

  3. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation

    Association between baseline brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation percentage and clinical response to tadalafil. Flow-mediated dilatation is a functional ultrasound-based measure of endothelial-dependent vasodilation; lower values indicate worse endothelial function. Baseline FMD will be evaluated as an independent predictor of treatment response.

    Time frame: Baseline

  4. Carotid intima-media thickness

    Association between baseline mean carotid intima-media thickness and clinical response to tadalafil. Carotid intima-media thickness is a structural ultrasound marker of subclinical atherosclerosis; higher values indicate more advanced vascular wall thickening. Baseline CIMT will be evaluated as an independent predictor of treatment response.

    Time frame: Baseline

  5. Serum endothelin-1 level

    Baseline biomarker levels will be evaluated as independent predictors of treatment response.

    Time frame: Baseline

  6. Serum nitrite/nitrate level

    Baseline biomarker levels will be evaluated as independent predictors of treatment response.

    Time frame: Baseline

  7. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein

    Baseline biomarker levels will be evaluated as independent predictors of treatment response.

    Time frame: Baseline

  8. Adverse events during tadalafil treatment

    Number and type of treatment-emergent adverse events occurring during 12 weeks of tadalafil 5 mg once-daily therapy.

    Time frame: Throughout the 12-week treatment period.

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Aug 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Aug 2028, 24 months after the start.

Of 40 observational studies under Erectile Dysfunction, half reached primary completion within 36 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 12 and three quarters within 77. This study's planned 24 months is below that.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Aug 16, 2026
First posted
Aug 19, 2026
StartActual
Aug 19, 2026
Primary completionEst.
Aug 2028
CompletionEst.
Dec 2028
Last update
Aug 20, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 20, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07773103
Responsible party
Abul-fotouh Ahmed (Professor of Urology, Al-Azhar University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 19, 2026
Start date
Aug 19, 2026
Primary completion
Aug 2028 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 20, 2026

Study contacts

Abul-fotouh Ahmed
Contact
abulfotouhahmed@yahoo.com
+201001066756
Abul-fotouh Ahmed
principal investigator · Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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