title: Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in patients with metabolic syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We wished to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and erectile dysfunction (ED).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 268 patients were included in this study. All of the patients were asked to fill in an International Index for Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. The presence of metabolic syndrome was determined when any three or more of the five risk factors were present according to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel (ATP)-III. The relationship between risk factor for metabolic syndrome and ED status was determined according to logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-nine patients (33%) constituted the metabolic syndrome group. IIEF-EF domain scores of patients with and without metabolic syndrome were 17.7 +/- 7.9 and 21.7 +/- 7.5, respectively (P < 0.001). Seventy-four percent of patients with metabolic syndrome and 50% of patients without metabolic syndrome had ED (P < 0.001; odds ratio 2.9; 95% CI 1.7-5.0). Erectile function domain scores significantly decreased as the number of metabolic risk factors increased (P < 0.001). Patients with the risk factor of fasting blood glucose (FBG), waist circumference (WC), or hypertension (HT) had lower erectile function domain scores than the patients with other metabolic risk factors. Logistic regression analysis revealed that FBG and WC were the most important criteria for ED.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Metabolic syndrome seems to be a potential risk factor for ED. We recommend patients with metabolic syndrome should be questioned about ED, and WC measurement might take part in the evaluation of ED.
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylul University Medical School, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey. tevfikalper@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tevfik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Aykut
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kefi
authors.forename: Abdurrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Comlekci
authors.forename: Sena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yesil
authors.forename: Adil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esen
mesh_terms: D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology