Drug therapy and prevalence of erectile dysfunction in the Massachusetts Male Aging Study cohort.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association of commonly used drugs with erectile dysfunction (ED) at two time points.


METHODS
Population-based, cross-sectional, survey analysis.


METHODS
Randomly selected cohort of men in the Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS) that included 1476 men for the baseline (1987-1989) and 922 for the follow-up (1995-1997) analyses.


METHODS
Crude associations between specific drug categories were examined with chi2 statistics. Logistic regression analysis was used to separate the effect of drugs from the influence of heart disease, hypertension, untreated diabetes, or depressive symptoms.


RESULTS
In the MMAS, medical history, current drug use, and erectile function status were ascertained with in-home interviews. In unadjusted analyses, thiazide and nonthiazide diuretics, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, benzodiazepines, digitalis, nitrates, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, and histamine2 receptor antagonists were associated with prevalent ED. Adjustment for comorbidities and health behaviors attenuated these associations, with only nonthiazide diuretics and benzodiazepines remaining statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Several common drugs may increase prevalence of ED; however, additional data from larger populations are needed to determine whether these associations are independent of underlying health conditions and to explore the effects of dosage and duration of use.
Derby
C A
CA
New England Research Institutes, Watertown, Massachusetts 02472, USA.
Barbour
M M
MM
Hume
A L
AL
McKinlay
J B
JB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001900:Boston / Q000453:epidemiology; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs