Risk factors for incident erectile dysfunction among community-dwelling men.
BACKGROUND
Compared to the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED), fewer studies have focused on the incidence of ED and even fewer have focused on nonmedical risk factors.


OBJECTIVE
We examined psychosocial, demographic/socioeconomic, medical/behavioral, and sexual function risk factors at T1 (1987-1989) and development of incident ED at T2 (1995-1997).


METHODS
Longitudinal population-based epidemiologic study of 814 community-dwelling men participating in the Massachusetts Male Aging Study.


METHODS
ED was defined according to a validated, discriminant-analytic formula based on questionnaire responses and categorized as moderate/complete ED vs. none/minimal. Multivariate logistic regression models (odds ratios [ORs] and 95% confidence intervals [CI]) were used to estimate the association of risk factors with ED.


RESULTS
Among 814 men free of ED at T1, 22% developed moderate/complete ED at T2 (on average, approximately 8.8 years later). In a multivariate model, sexual function variables captured at baseline were inversely associated with ED (e.g., more or similar level of sexual arousal compared to adolescence vs. less, OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.92; frequency of sexual thoughts at least two to three times weekly vs. less, OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.92) after adjustment for age, education, and other risk factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that in the context of other risk factors, sexual desire variables at baseline were associated with incident ED. This in turn suggests that indications of reduced function appear earlier than ED itself, and that there may be a time window for intervention before a loss of erectile function.
Hall
Susan A
SA
Department of Epidemiology, New England Research Institute, Watertown, MA, USA. shall@neriscience.com; sahall@email.unc.edu
Shackelton
Rebecca
R
Rosen
Raymond C
RC
Araujo
Andre B
AB
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006304:Health Status; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D013739:Testosterone