Endocrine Abstracts

Background

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common sexual dysfunction occurring in men with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) but its evaluation is often neglected in routine clinical practice. There is hardly any data on the prevalence of ED among the males with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Indian state of Punjab.

Aims

This cross sectional study was conducted to find out the frequency and risk factors of ED in subjects with T2DM in the Indian state of Punjab.

Material and methods

Study was conducted on 520 male subjects with T2DM attending the outpatient department of an endocrinology speciality hospital. All participants underwent detailed clinical evaluation, anthropometric measurements and relevant lab investigations like fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbA1c, creatinine, lipid profile, testosterone. The presence of ED by was determined by using the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaire, which consists of 5 items; a sum score of 21 or less indicates the presence of ED. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS.

Results

The mean age of subjects was 53.4 ± 16.8 years. Out of the 520 subjects, 298 (56.4%) had ED. ED was mild in 14.8%, mild to moderate in 17.6%, moderate in 14.4% where as severe ED was present in 9.6% of the subjects. The subjects with ED had higher mean age, longer duration of DM, higher body mass index (BMI), higher HbA1c, higher FPG, higher serum creatinine and lower serum testosterone level than those without ED. Also the Subjects with hypertension, peripheral artery disease, dyslipidaemia had higher prevalence of ED.

Discussion

ED is defined as the persistent inability to achieve or maintain penile erection for successful sexual intercourse and it results from complex interplay between vascular, neurologic, hormonal and psychological factors. In our study a high prevalence of erectile dysfunction was observed in type 2 DM subjects in Indian state of Punjab. The IIEF-5 score showed significant negative correlation with age, duration of diabetes, HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, serum creatinine and significant positive correlation with serum testosterone. Poor glycaemic control, testosterone deficiency, peripheral arterial disease were the modifiable risk factors for ED in diabetic subjects.

Conclusions

The prevalence of ED is high among T2 DM patients. ED is an important but often neglected complication of diabetes and its assessment should be included in the routine evaluation of all men with diabetes so as to ensure its early diagnosis and prompt treatment.