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Erectile dysfunction common in Chinese men with Type 2 diabetes
6 September 2010
MedWire News: Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects three-quarters of Chinese men with Type 2 diabetes, say researchers who add that the majority of such men can be successfully treated with sildenafil citrate.
Significant risk factors for ED in these men included older age, longer duration of diabetes, and a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level higher than 6.5%. Changyu Pan (Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing) and colleagues recruited 5477 men with Type 2 diabetes, aged 54.2 years on average. Of the cohort, 75.2% had ED, as defined by a score of 21 or less on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-5.
Compared with diabetic men without ED, patients with ED were significantly older, and had higher blood pressure and blood glucose. They were also more likely to have hypertension and heart disease, and they had a significantly longer duration of diabetes and lower body mass indices.
These findings are in agreement with previous studies linking ED with Type 2 diabetes and increased risk for heart disease, as reported by MedWire News.
Men who were diagnosed with ED and who consented to treatment (n=389) were given three tablets of sildenafil citrate 100 mg/day for use over 3 months. Efficacy was assessed using the IIEF-5 and the Global Efficacy Questionnaire (GEQ).
Overall, 84% of patients reported improved erectile function following treatment, with improvements maintained even after discontinuation of treatment in the majority of cases.
Adverse events were generally minor, and 37 were reported by 25 patients. These included flushing (17 events), headache (seven events), mild palpitations (two events), and dry mouth (two events).
“This report represents the largest epidemiological study to assess the prevalence of ED in Chinese men with Type 2 diabetes mellitus to date,” write the authors in the International Journal of Impotence Research.
“Because of the high prevalence of ED, clinicians should provide early screening and treatment for ED to patients with diabetes mellitus,” they add.
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