Erectile dysfunction and hypertension among adult males in Umudike, Nigeria: A study of prevalence and relationships

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and hypertension in Umudike, Nigeria and assessed the correlations between the 5 item International Index for Erectile Function (IIEF-5) scores and measures of blood pressure in the said population. Standard protocols were followed for all measurements and determinations. The results show that 86.8% of the studied population had some form of ED, though only 10.4 and 2.4% of the population had moderate and severe ED, respectively. Hypertension and prehypertension were found in 21.3 and 47.1% of the population, respectively. Both ED and hypertension increased in prevalence with age. The prevalence of severe ED was significantly (p<0.01) lower than that of normal erectile function (16.7 vs. 38.7%) among subjects with normal blood pressure. Conversely, the prevalence of severe ED was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of normal erectile function (33.3 vs. 16.7%) among subjects with hypertension. The IIEF-5 scores correlated negatively but significantly (p<0.01) with both SBP and MBP. Evaluating men with hypertension for ED may be warranted in Nigeria, so as to reduce to morbidity and the poor quality of life in men, arising from ED.