Prevalence of erectile dysfunction among Saudi type 2 diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and etiology of erectile dysfunction in Saudi type 2 diabetic patients.


METHODS
429 Saudi type 2 diabetic male patients aged more than 30 years were recruited. Total and bio-available serum testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin and free testosterone levels were measured by ELISA-IBL GMBH Germany.


RESULTS
47 (12.6%) subjects had hypogonadism with total testosterone < 8 nmol/l and 109 (29.3%) had possible hypogonadism with a total testosterone between 8 and 12 nmol/l. Similarly, using bioavailable levels, 30 (8%) men had overt hypogonadism with bioavailable testosterone < 2.5 nmol/l and 89 (33.9%) men had possible hypogonadism with bioavailable testosterone between 2.5-4 nmol/l; while 266 (71.6%) patients with free testosterone < 0.255 nmol/l had hypogonadism. BMI and waist circumference were both significantly negatively correlated with testosterone levels in Saudi type 2 diabetic men.


CONCLUSIONS
Testosterone levels are frequently low in Saudi men with type 2 diabetes and majority of these patients have symptoms of hypogonadism. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) was 86.7% in diabetic men with low testosterone level of 8-12 nmol/L. Obesity is an associated factor with low testosterone levels and ED in Saudi type 2 diabetic patients.
University Diabetes Center, King Saud University, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ahassan@ksu.edu.sa.
A
A
Hassan
K
K
Aburisheh
T J
TJ
Sheikh
S A
SA
Meo
N A
NA
Ahmed
A H
AH
Al Sharqawi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D013739:Testosterone