Erectile dysfunction is independently associated with apnea-hypopnea index and oxygen desaturation index in elderly, but not younger, community-dwelling men

Approach the Patient With Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity are highly prevalent and bidirectionally associated. OSA is underrecognized, however, particularly in women. By mechanisms that overlap with those of obesity, OSA increases the risk of developing, or having poor outcomes from, comorbid chronic disorders and impairs quality of life. Using 2 illustrative cases, we discuss the relationships between OSA and obesity with type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, cognitive disturbance, mood disorders, lower urinary tract symptoms, sexual function, and reproductive disorders. The differences in OSA between men and women, the phenotypic variability of OSA, and comorbid sleep disorders are highlighted. When the probability of OSA is high due to consistent symptoms, comorbidities, or both, a diagnostic sleep study is advisable. Continuous positive airway pressure or mandibular advancement splints improve symptoms. Benefits for comorbidities are variable depending on nightly duration of use. By contrast, weight loss and optimization of lifestyle behaviors are consistently beneficial.

The relationship between sleep disorders, quality, and duration and sexual dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The associations between sexual dysfunction (SD) and sleep disorders, sleep quality, and sleep duration remain unclear.

AIM

To assess the relationship between sleep and SD through a literature review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

The PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched from inception to November 10, 2022.

OUTCOMES

Pooled relative risks and 95% CIs were used to examine the association of sleep disorders with SD in longitudinal studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were used to examine the associations between SD and sleep disorders, sleep quality, and sleep duration in cross-sectional studies.

RESULTS

Forty-three articles, including 11 longitudinal studies and 32 cross-sectional studies, were included in the quantitative analysis. The pooled relative risk of SD in patients with sleep disorders was 1.97 in longitudinal studies (95% CI, 1.46-2.67, P < .001; heterogeneity: I2 = 95.0%, P < .001), while the pooled OR of SD in patients with sleep disorders was 2.05 in cross-sectional studies (95% CI, 1.76-2.39, P < .001; heterogeneity: I2 = 91.4%, P < .001). When compared with controls, subjects with poor sleep quality had a 1.49-fold increased risk of SD (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.31-1.71, P < .001; heterogeneity: I2 = 73.4%, P < .001). In addition, short sleep duration was associated with the risk of SD (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.06-1.22, P < .001; heterogeneity: I2 = 0.0%, P = .849).

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The risk of SD is significantly increased in patients with sleep disorders and poor sleep quality, indicating that clinicians should monitor sleep among patients with SD.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

This study is the most comprehensive meta-analysis of the association between sleep and SD to date. However, different sleep disorders may have varying associations with sleep duration and sleep quality; thus, we could not identify the independent effects across the studies.

CONCLUSION

Our systematic review and meta-analysis results suggest that sleep disorders, especially obstructive sleep apnea, increase the risk of SD in men and women. Poor sleep quality is significantly associated with SD. Short sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of SD.

Poor sleep quality and erectile dysfunction in students from a Peruvian University: A cross-sectional study

Objective

We aimed to evaluate the association between sleep quality and erectile dysfunction in young university students.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in men aged 18-30 years from Universidad Ricardo Palma, Lima, Peru. The survey comprised the International Index of Erectile Function, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Berlin questionnaire, and questions related to sociodemographic data. Prevalence ratios were estimated with generalized linear models.

Results

Of 381 participants, the median age was 23 years. Half of the students (50.9%) had poor sleep quality, of which 72.7% had mild erectile dysfunction and 20.6% mild to moderate dysfunction. Prevalence of erectile dysfunction was significantly higher in students with poor sleep quality than in students with good sleep quality (aPR = 6.48; 95% CI: 4.58-9.17) after adjusting for age, academic year, nutritional status, and sleep apnea. In a subsequent exploratory analysis, sleep apnea was associated with a higher prevalence of erectile dysfunction (aPR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.01-1.39), while overweight (aPR = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.76-0.95) and obesity (aPR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.52-0.82) were associated with a lower prevalence of this condition.

Conclusion

Poor sleep quality was independently associated with erectile dysfunction in young university students. This finding suggests that male students are at risk for sexual problems due to possible academic demands and relationship issues.

Global psychological assessment with the evaluation of life and sleep quality and sexual and cognitive function in a large number of patients with acromegaly: a cross-sectional study

Objective

Acromegaly is associated with somatic disfigurements which impair self-perception of well-being and quality of life. Nowadays, limited data are available on the interplay between hormonal excess and psychological discomfort. The study aimed at investigating the psychological profile, sleep quality, sexual function, cognitive functions, and quality of life in patients with acromegaly.

Methods

In 223 acromegaly patients from 5 referral centres, global psychological profile, sleep quality, sexual function, cognitive function, and quality of life were investigated.

Results

Depression was found in ~30% of patients, and anxiety in two-thirds, together with severe discomfort in body image mainly in women. Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome risk and sleep disorders were found in >50% of patients and daily sleepiness in ~20%. Sexual dysfunction was reported in most of the patients, with the most severe impairment in women. Cognitive functions were compromised in ~10% of cases. Disease duration and patient's age and gender were the main determinants of these psychopathological conditions. Depression (P = 0.047), somatic-affective mood lowering (P = 0.021), state (P < 0.001) and trait (P = 0.013) anxiety, and body image distortion in body uneasiness test A (P < 0.001) and B (P = 0.006) were significantly worsened in patients <45 years and slightly worsened in those with disease duration less than 2 years. Male (P < 0.001) and female (P < 0.001) sexual function scores were significantly worsened in patients aged >64 years and slightly worsened in those with disease duration for more than 10 years, particularly in presence of cardiometabolic and respiratory complications. Cognitive symptoms were slightly worsened in older patients and in those with long disease duration.

Conclusions

Acromegaly is associated with a relevant impairment of psychological profile persisting despite remission and long-term medical treatment.

Genetic Evidence Supporting a Causal Role of Snoring in Erectile Dysfunction

Background

The association between snoring and erectile dysfunction (ED) is inconsistent in multiple observational studies. To clarify the causal association of snoring on ED, we performed this two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Materials and Methods

The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with snoring were retrieved from the UK biobank cohort with 314,449 participants (117,812 cases and 196,637 controls). The summary statistics of ED were obtained from the European ancestry with 223,805 subjects (6,175 cases and 217,630 controls). Single-variable Mendelian randomization (MR) and multivariable MR were used to assess the causal relationship between snoring and ED.

Results

Snoring increases the risk of ED (Odds ratio [OR] = 3.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.68 - 7.09, P < 0.001) in the inverse variance weighting estimator. In sensitivity analyses, the ORs for the weighted median, MR robust adjusted profile score, and MR Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier approach, MR-Egger, and maximum likelihood method are 5.70 (95% CI = 1.19 - 27.21, P < 0.05), 3.14 (95% CI = 1.01 - 9.72, P < 0.05), 3.11 (95% CI = 1.63 - 5.91, P < 0.01), 1.23 (95% CI = 0.01 - 679.73, P > 0.05), and 3.59 (95% CI = 1.07 - 12.00, P < 0.05), respectively. No heterogeneity and pleiotropy are observed (P for MR-Egger intercept = 0.748; P for global test = 0.997; P for Cochran's Q statistics > 0.05). After adjusting for total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and cigarette consumption, the ORs for ED are 5.75 (95% CI = 1.80 - 18.34, P < 0.01), 4.16 (95% CI = 1.10 - 15.81, P < 0.05), 5.50 (95% CI = 1.62 - 18.69, P < 0.01), and 2.74 (95% CI = 1.06 - 7.10, P < 0.05), respectively.

Conclusion

This study provides genetic evidence supporting the causal role of snoring in ED.

Surgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea decrease the risk of erectile dysfunction: A nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND

It has been reported that the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) is significantly higher in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), compared with patients without OSA. However, there is limited evidence on whether surgical treatments in patients with OSA could decrease ED risk.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the impact of surgical treatments for OSA on the risk of ED by analysis of claims data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database between 1997 and 2012.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We identified 20,675 male adults with newly diagnosed OSA during the study period; 16,040 patients ever received surgical treatments (treated cohort) and 4635 patients never received surgical treatments (untreated cohort). According to 3:1 propensity score matching, we analyzed 8337 patients in the treated cohort and 2779 controls in the untreated cohort. We estimated the incidence rates (IRs) and hazard ratios (HRs) of incident ED in both cohorts through the end of 2012.

RESULTS

In a total study follow-up of 64,916 person-years, 396 (3.6%) patients developed impotence. The IRs of ED for the treated and untreated cohorts, respectively, were 55.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 55.6-55.9) and 76.1 (95% CI, 76.0-76.3) per 1000 person-years. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that surgical treatments for OSA patients were associated with a lower risk for ED (adjusted HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.64-0.98). Multivariate stratified analysis further verified that significant risk reduction of ED was present in OSA patients without hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, obesity, chronic kidney disease, and chronic liver disease.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that OSA patients who received surgical treatments were associated with a lower risk for developing ED by 21%.

Blood Oxygen Accumulation Distribution Area Index Is Associated With Erectile Dysfunction in Patients With Sleep Apnea-Results From a Cross-sectional Study

Introduction

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked with erectile dysfunction (ED), but the relatively independent polysomnography (PSG) outcomes of apnea and nocturnal hypoxia may not effectively assess the physiological impairment of OSA well.

Aim

To propose a new calculation method, the blood oxygen accumulation distribution area index (BOADAI), for evaluating the association between OSA and ED.

Methods

In this study, 502 male participants with suspected OSA were enrolled. Clinical questionnaire, physical measurements, and PSG outcomes were obtained by 2 respiratory physicians. ED was assessed by a urologist using the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5). Whole pulse oxygen saturation curves during the sleep time were compressed into a fixed scale image, and the distribution area of oxygen saturation curves was outlined. We then calculated the value of the outlined area and normalized it by total sleep time. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression model was used for selecting the optimal variable associated with ED and model construction. The clinical net benefit of the BOADAI and its related modules was estimated and compared by decision curve analysis.

Main Outcome Measure

ED and OSA were assessed using the IIEF-5, clinical questionnaire, physical measurements, and PSG outcomes.

Results

The frequency of ED in patients with OSA was significantly greater than that in the no-OSA group. Meanwhile, the new BOADAI was negatively correlated with the IIEF-5 score (r = −0.2525, P = .0000). Moreover, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method retained BOADAI but not the other PSG parameters such as respiratory disorder index and lowest SaO2. Finally, logistic regression analysis revealed that older age, lips with cyanochroia, systemic hypertension, and BOADAI were independently associated with ED, and decision curve analysis indicated the clinical usefulness of the BOADAI module.

Conclusion

This study revealed novel evidence that OSA is a risk factor for ED. Meanwhile, the BOADAI could act as a potential clinical characteristic to evaluate ED in patients with OSA and to provide clinical treatment recommendations.

Zheng W, Chen X, Huang J, et al. Blood Oxygen Accumulation Distribution Area Index Is Associated With Erectile Dysfunction in Patients With Sleep Apnea—Results From a Cross-sectional Study. Sex Med 2019; 8:36–44.