Changes in clitoral blood flow in premenopausal women affected by type 1 diabetes after single 100-mg administration of sildenafil

Abstract

Objectives To verify whether sildenafil is effective in modifying clitoral blood flow in premenopausal women affected by type 1 diabetes. Methods The setting was a diabetes outpatient clinic in which 30 premenopausal women affected by type 1 diabetes treated with insulin therapy and 39 healthy premenopausal women participated in our prospective open-label clinical study. Each diabetic woman received a single oral dose of 100 mg sildenafil. Translabial color Doppler ultrasonography was used to measure the resistance index, pulsatility index, peak systolic velocity, and end-diastolic velocity of the clitoral arteries 1 and 4 hours after sildenafil intake. Results One hour after the administration of sildenafil, the mean resistance index was significantly lower and the mean pulsatility index, mean peak systolic velocity, and mean end-diastolic velocity of the clitoral arteries were significantly greater compared with baseline and 4 hours after sildenafil ( P <0.05). The baseline clitoral blood flow of the diabetic women was lower compared with that of the control group ( P <0.001). Conclusions Sildenafil seems to improve the clitoral blood flow of premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes.