Pure hypertriglyceridemia might be associated with erectile dysfunction: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Unlike the association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the association between ED and hypertriglyceridemia is still debatable. Aim. To study prevalence and severity of ED in young men with very high levels of triglycerides.


METHODS
Prevalence of ED, ED severity, total cholesterol levels, LDL cholesterol levels, and triglycerides levels.


METHODS
Men who were enrolled went through routine health checks including full lipid profiling and completion of the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) questionnaire. Very high levels of triglycerides were defined as >or=500 mg/dL. Very high levels of LDL cholesterol were defined as >or=190 mg/dL. Men with diabetes, ischemic heart disease, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol >or=60 mg/dL, and mixed hyperlipidemias were excluded.


RESULTS
Included were 88 men, aged 35.9 +/- 7.1 years (range: 25-51 years): 21 men with "pure" severe hypertriglyceridemia (triglyceride levels >or=500 mg/dL and non-HDL cholesterol <or=189 mg/dL), 34 men with "pure" severe hyperlipidemia (LDL cholesterol levels >or=190 mg/dL and triglycerides <or=199 mg/dL), and 33 men with normal cholesterol levels. No significant differences were found between these groups in terms of mean age and mean SHIM score. Prevalence of ED (i.e., SHIM score < 22) was higher among men with "pure" severe hypertriglyceridemia than among men with "pure" severe hyperlipidemia (42.9% vs. 29.4%) and men with normal cholesterol levels (42.9% vs. 24.2%), although these results were not statistically significant (P = 0.2 and 0.4, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Prevalence of ED might be increased in young men with "pure" severe hypertriglyceridemia, though a larger cohort with a longitudinal follow-up is needed to prove that hypertriglyceridemia is an independent risk factor for ED.
Heruti
Rafi
R
Sexual Rehabilitation Clinic, Reuth Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel;; Israel Defense Force, Medical Corps, Israel;; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel;. Electronic address: Heruti@post.tau.ac.il.
Arbel
Yaron
Y
Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel;; Department of Internal Medicine D, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Steinvil
Arie
A
Department of Internal Medicine D, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Zarka
Salman
S
Israel Defense Force, Medical Corps, Israel.
Saar
Nili
N
Department of Internal Medicine D, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Kinori
Michael
M
Department of Internal Medicine D, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Brenner
Galit
G
Israel Defense Force, Medical Corps, Israel.
Justo
Dan
D
Israel Defense Force, Medical Corps, Israel;; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel;; Department of Internal Medicine D, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index