Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41171556›Full record

ArticleDrug safety2026

Sexual Dysfunctions Associated with Proton Pump Inhibitors: Insights from VigiBase, the World Health Organization Pharmacovigilance Database.

Salvatore Crisafulli, Francesco Ciccimarra, Fabio Scapini, Luca L'Abbate, Emmanuele A Jannini, Maria Cristina De Martino, Elisa Giannetta, Jordi Mestres, Marco Tuccori, Gianluca Trifirò

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Drug safety, 2026. 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

10 authors.

Salvatore Crisafulli *Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy.
Francesco Ciccimarra *Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy.
Fabio ScapiniDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy.
Luca L'AbbateDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy.
Emmanuele A JanniniChair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Sexology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Maria Cristina De MartinoDipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Naples, Italy.
Elisa GiannettaDepartment of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Jordi MestresChemotargets SL, Parc Cientific de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Marco TuccoriDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy.
Gianluca TrifiròDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy. gianluca.trifiro@univr.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1147-7296

Funding

European Union - Next Generation EU, Mission 4, Component 1 B53D23030830001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOver the years, several observational studies and case reports have been published hypothesizing a potential association between the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and sexual dysfunctions in both male and female patients.

objectivesWe aimed to investigate the potential association between PPI use and sexual dysfunction onset using VigiBase, the World Health Organization international pharmacovigilance database.

methodsAll individual case safety reports of sexual dysfunctions containing PPIs (i.e. omeprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole, pantoprazole and esomeprazole) as suspected or interacting drugs until 4 September, 2024 were selected from VigiBase using the Standardised MedDRA Query "Sexual dysfunction". A descriptive analysis of the selected individual case safety reports was carried out. Potentially new safety signals were identified through a disproportionality analysis and calculated as a reporting odds ratio (ROR) along with a 95% confidence interval (CI), which were adjusted via Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. To account for age-related effects on sexual functions, a subgroup analysis was carried out by restricting the study population only to patients aged from 18 to 64 years.

resultsA total of 420,598 individual case safety reports concerning PPIs were collected in VigiBase during the study period. Of these, 841 containing at least one Preferred Term included in the "Sexual dysfunction" Standardised MedDRA Query reporting information on sex were retrieved. Overall, disproportionate reporting for omeprazole concerning erectile dysfunction (adjusted ROR, 1.76; 95% CI 1.54-2.01) was observed, while two statistically significant adjusted RORs for esomeprazole, i.e. genital discomfort (ROR, 3.66; 95% CI 1.34-10.04) and oestrogen deficiency (ROR, 3.80; 95% CI 1.03-13.99) in female patients were found. The subgroup analysis confirmed the statistically significant disproportionate reporting of erectile dysfunction for omeprazole (adjusted ROR: 1.80; 95% CI 1.49-2.16), and generated new potential safety signals including an omeprazole-induced libido decrease (adjusted ROR, 1.49; 95% CI 1.05-2.12) and esomeprazole-induced hypogonadism (adjusted ROR, 5.22; 95% CI 1.22-22.34) in male individuals, and omeprazole-induced genital discomfort (adjusted ROR, 3.55; 95% CI 1.13-11.09) in female individuals.

conclusionsFindings of this study suggest the presence of safety signals of PPI-induced sexual dysfunctions, such as erectile dysfunction, genital discomfort and oestrogen deficiency. However, further observational studies are required to validate and further characterise these potential safety signals.

Indexed as

PharmacovigilanceProton Pump InhibitorsSexual Dysfunction, PhysiologicalAdolescentAdultAdverse Drug Reaction Reporting SystemsDatabases, FactualFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedWorld Health OrganizationYoung AdultProton Pump Inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID41171556
PMCPMC13002691

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.