[Sexual dysfunction and coronary artery disease in adult women].
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of sexual dysfunction in adult women with coronary artery disease (CAD) has seldom been studied, and the association between sexual dysfunction severity and with CAD severity has never been studied.


OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and its severity by CAD severity in adult women.


METHODS
Adult women undergoing coronary angiography at the Tel Aviv Medical Center completed a sexual questionnaire titled Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Scores of 23 or lower in this questionnaire were consistent with sexual dysfunction. The cohort was divided into three groups: 1. Women without CAD. 2. Women with one vessel disease. 3. Women with two or more vessel disease. CAD was defined as one or more coronary artery stenosis of 50% or more, and/or history of myocardial infarction. The prevalence of sexual dysfunction and cardiovascular risk factors was compared between these groups.


RESULTS
The study included 104 adult women (age range: 42-92 years; mean age: 11.2 +/- 68.7 years). Sixty-five (62.5%) ,women had one-vessel disease (n = 27) or more (n = 38). Overall, 39 (37.5%) women had no coronary stenosis and/or history of myocardial infarction. Most women (n = 68; 65.4%) had no sexual activity. Among the 36 sexually active women, 11 (30.6%) women had a normal sexual function. Normal sexual function was two-times more prevalent in women without CAD relative to women with CAD (7.7% vs. 15.4%; p = 0.049). These findings were not statistically significant following adjustment for age. The odds for normal sexual function were low as more coronaries were stenotic, but these findings were not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
A trend towards association between CAD severity and sexual dysfunction severity in adult women has been demonstrated for the first time. Sexual dysfunction and lack of sexual activity are very common among adult women with CAD. There is a negative association between the number of coronary arteries involved and normal sexual function, but this trend should be studied in a larger cohort.
Megiddo
Elinor
E
Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Justo
Dan
D
Arbel
Yaron
Y
Oren
Amit
A
Heruti
Rafi
R
Banai
Shmuel
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires