Abstract

BACKGROUND
Erectile dysfunction is the consistent inability to achieve or sustain an erection of suffieient rigidity for sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunction is an important cause of decreased quality of life in diabetic men. The prevalence of ereciile dysfunction has been reported to be three times higher in diabetic men than nondiabetics. Erectile dysfunction in diabetic men has been associated with increased age, poor glycemic control, smoling, alcohol intake, depression, and microvascular diabetic complication. Our purpose was to determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction in diabetic men and to assess risk factors re]ated to erectile dysfunction in diabetes mellitus. METHODS: From l53 diabetic men visiting Ewha Womans University Hospital from March, 1997 to March, 1998, we analyzed the self-reported questionnaires. Three questions about erection and one question about overall sexual satisfaetion were given and the answer to each question was categorized into 5 degrees according to the severity of sexua] dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction was diagnosed when any answer for erection showed a degree lower than 4. We obtained the history of smoking, alcohol and hypertension, and measured the current weight and height. Fasting glucose, HBA 1c and lipid profile were me measured. We also evaluated for the presence of diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. RESULTS: 1) The self-reported prevalence of erectile dysfunction in diabetic men was 75.5 % in this study. 2) In the patients with erectile dysfunction, age, duration of diabetes mellitus, HbAlc, and systolic blood pressure were significantly higher, and BMI and triglyceride significantly lower than in the patients without erectile dysfunction. 3) The prevalence of erectile dysfunction was increased with aging and increasing duration of diabetes mellitus, HBA. was significantly positively related and BMI was inversely related to erectile dysfunction. 4) Age and HbA 1c were independently and positively related to erectile dysfunction by multiple logistic regression. 5) The erectile dysfunction was significantly associated with diabetic autonomic neuropathy and retinopathy. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of self-reported erectile dysfunction in diabetic men was 75.5 % in this study, and it was significantly related to aging and the degree of the glycemic control.

• Keywords: Diabetes mellitus;Prevalence;Erectile dysfunction;