Erectile dysfunction in men with type 2 diabetes: Is it associated with poor glycemic control?

Abstract

Background and Objective Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a widespread clinical issue with many new cases diagnosed every year. The prevalence of ED in men with type 2 diabetes millitus (T2DM) ranges from 35-90%, depending on patient characteristics and the method used to diagnose it. There is inconsistent evidence about the association between ED and the degree of glycemic control in men with T2DM. Our main objective was to investigate the association between ED in patients with T2DM and poor glycemic control, as well as other factors. Material and Methods This is a cross-sectional study based on a self-administrated questionnaire. The study was conducted from July to September 2017at King Saud University-Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants in this study were older than 18-years-old. The data from the questionnaire were analyzed using the SPSS program (Armonk, NY, USA). Results The prevalence of ED is 80.5%, while a severe degree is seen at 33%. There were several factors significantly associated with it, including age (p-value = 0.01), education level (p-value = 0.01), monthly income (p-value = 0.01), occupation status (p-value = 0.01), duration of diabetes (p-value = 0.01), type of treatment of diabetes (p-value = 0.01), and diabetes status (p-value = 0.01). Increasing age (above 60 years of age), duration, and uncontrolled diabetes were associated with a high risk of developing ED. Conclusion ED was highly prevalent in patients with T2DM and poor glycemic control, as well as advanced age and duration of diabetes: each was associated with increased risk of ED.