title: Pure hypertriglyceridemia might be associated with erectile dysfunction: a pilot study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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.
authors.forename: Rafi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heruti
authors.affiliation: Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel;; Department of Internal Medicine D, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yaron
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arbel
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine D, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Arie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steinvil
authors.affiliation: Israel Defense Force, Medical Corps, Israel.
authors.forename: Salman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zarka
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine D, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Nili
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saar
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine D, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kinori
authors.affiliation: Israel Defense Force, Medical Corps, Israel.
authors.forename: Galit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.affiliation: 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.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Justo
mesh_terms: 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