Assessment of the autonomic nervous system is an appropriate biological marker for the well-being in erectile dysfunction.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether the autonomic nervous system (ANS) components are suitable biological markers for representing well-being in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED).


METHODS
The present study included 74 male patients who had applied for check-ups in the cardiology outpatient clinic at Kirikkale University (Kirikkale, Turkey) and who had been diagnosed as having hyperlipidemia. Of these patients, 26 had an additional diagnosis of ED and made up the patient group. The remaining 48 patients formed the control group. Well-being was assessed with short-form 36 (SF-36). The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) was used as a measure of libido and erectile function. Quantitative assessment of the ANS was made based on the analysis of heart rate variability by means of 24-h holter monitorization.


RESULTS
Comparisons between the ED and control groups showed significant differences only in energy scale of SF-36. The ED group also had significantly higher values of sympathetic activity. Except for the general health score of SF-36, which was found to be correlated with parasympathetic activity only in ED group, there were similar correlation patterns within the groups. Although well-being and sympathetic activity were correlated negatively, parasympathetic activity and well-being were correlated positively.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative assessment of the ANS by heart rate variability analysis might be a suitable marker for well-being of patients with ED.
Dogru
Tolga
T
Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Kirikkale University, Kirikkale, Turkey.
Kocak
Orhan Murat
OM
Erberk-Ozen
Nurper
N
Basar
Murat
M
D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology
D015415:Biomarkers