Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in systolic heart failure patients in a developing country: Tbilisi, Georgia, Eastern Europe.
BACKGROUND
In the past decade, there has been an increasing amount of published information regarding erectile dysfunction (ED) and heart failure (HF) in economically advanced, westernized populations. However, there is a paucity of data regarding ED and HF in developing countries. The country of Georgia is categorized as a lower-middle-income country (LMIC) with an emerging and developing economy.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the prevalence of ED in patients with HF from a developing and LMIC and assess the association with depression.


METHODS
We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study that included male patients 18 years of age or older with an ejection fraction ≤40% by echocardiogram in a heart failure disease management program in Tbilisi, Georgia. The Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) survey was used to categorize men according to degree of ED. Baseline clinical characteristics known to be associated with ED, such as New York Heart Association functional classification, were also documented.


METHODS
The SHIM survey and the nine-question Patient Health Questionnaire.


RESULTS
The prevalence of ED was found to be 61.7%. Patients with ED were generally older, had more peripheral vascular disease, and had greater levels of depression than those without ED.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a high prevalence of ED in patients with HF living in Tbilisi, Georgia. In comparison to previously published data on HF populations, our Georgian population showed lesser degrees of ED. More research is needed to better explain the causality for lower prevalence of ED, but explanations may include lower degrees of diabetes and aspects of treatment such as beta-blocker medication. Health care providers in LMICs should screen all of their male HF patients for ED and provide appropriate therapy.
Hebert
Kathy
K
Department of Cardiology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA. khebert1@gmail.com
Anand
Jatin
J
Trahan
Pat
P
Delgado
Maria
M
Greene
Joseph
J
Julian
Elyse
E
Cuomo
Jason
J
Gogichaishvili
Ilia
I
Nozadze
Nino
N
Dias
Andre
A
Arcement
Lee
L
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D003906:Developing Countries; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005846:Georgia (Republic) / Q000453:epidemiology; D054143:Heart Failure, Systolic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires