title: Glycosylated haemoglobin levels and the severity of erectile function in diabetic men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between the levels of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and the severity of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men with diabetes mellitus (DM).
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study included sexually active men with a diagnosis of DM attending a urological medical centre from January 2000 to December 2001. The 115 men with ED (95%) completed the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire, and fasting serum glucose and HbA1c serum levels were measured. The relationship between the severity of ED and serum HbA1c levels was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of men with HbA1c levels of < 8%, half had mild, and 18% and 32% had moderate and severe ED, respectively (P = 0.038); of men with HbA1c levels of > or = 8%, 25%, 29%, and 46% had mild, moderate and severe ED, respectively (P = 0.008). In addition, men with HbA1c levels of > or = 11% had a statistically higher prevalence of severe ED (P = 0.002). There was no difference in severity of ED in the HbA1c subgroups when the duration of DM was < or = 5 years (P = 0.87), but most men with HbA1c levels of > or = 8% and a history of DM of 6-10 or > 10 years had severe ED (P < 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that the severity of ED is associated with increasing HbA1c levels in diabetic men.
authors.affiliation: Urology, Fundacao Faculdade Federal de Ciencias Medicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. ernanirh@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Ernani L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Rhoden
authors.forename: Eduardo P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Charles E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Riedner
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Teloken
authors.forename: Carlos A V
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Souto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin