An investigation of erectile dysfunction in Gwent, Wales.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED) and the associated risk factors in men attending community clinics in a large population in Wales, UK.


METHODS
Of 4060 men who were invited to attend 11 community clinics, primarily to check for prostate disease, 2025 (aged 55-70 years) attended. Of these, 2002 men answered a questionnaire about personal details, medical, family and sexual history, and detailed alcohol and smoking habits. All had their serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) analysed and those referred for investigation of prostatic disease underwent serum testosterone analysis.


RESULTS
Complete ED was reported by 265 men (13.2%), and was closely related to age (r = 0.19, P < 0.001) and medication (r = 0.2, P < 0.001). ED occurred in 6.9% of men aged 55-60 years, 12.5% aged 61-65 and 22.2% of those aged 66-70. Patients taking diabetic medication had the highest relative risk for ED and 11.3% of men with ED were taking nitrates. The numbers of years of smoking had the third closest correlation with impotence (r = 0.16, P < 0.001). A low serum testosterone level was a poor predictor of ED and increasing serum PSA levels did not influence the distribution of ED.


CONCLUSIONS
About 13% of these men aged 55-70 years had complete ED; if this value is extrapolated to the whole of the UK, this equates to almost half a million men being unable to achieve any erections. The estimate would be much greater if those with milder forms of ED are included.
Green
J S
JS
Department of Urology, The Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Gwent.
Holden
S T
ST
Ingram
P
P
Bose
P
P
St George
D P
DP
Bowsher
W G
WG
D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology