Study of the risk factors of erectile dysfunction and phospho diestrase type 5 inhibitors usage among Egyptian population with erectile dysfunction: A cross-sectional survey

Objectives

We aimed to study the risk factors of erectile dysfunction (ED) and different patterns of phosphodiestrase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5is) usage among Egyptian patients.

Patients and methods

One thousand five hundred consecutive Egyptian patients complaining of ED were included in this cross-sectional study from July (2014) to October (2015). Patients were requested to answer the international index of erectile function questionnaire (IIEF-5). Statistical differences between groups were tested using Chi square test and Spearman's rho correlation coefficient for qualitative variables.

Results

Remarkably, significant associations between IIEF scores and aging and diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN) and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and hyperlipidaemia were shown in the studied patients (p < .0001, p < .0001, p < .0001, p < .0001, p < .0001, respectively). Eventually, our study showed significant correlations between different age groups and morning erection and lower urinary tract symptoms and HTN and IHD and DM where the severity of ED was directly proportional to the absence or decreased strength of morning erection with aging and the increased incidence of LUTS and HTN and IHD and DM with aging (p < .0001; p = .001; p < .0001; p < .0001; p < .0001, respectively).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that aging; DM, HTN and hyperlipidaemia are potential major risk factors of ED in Egypt for further validation. In addition, most of the participants used PDE5is without prior medical consultation together with concomitant administration of illicit drugs.