Is erectile dysfunction related to self-esteem and depression? A prospective case-control study

Association between severe headache or migraine and erectile dysfunction in American adults: a cross-sectional of data study from the NHANES

Currently, few studies have explored the relationship between severe headache or migraine and erectile dysfunction (ED). The aim of our study was to assess the association between severe headache or migraine and ED in adult men in the US from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We used data from two separate NHANES datasets for the analysis: 2001-2002 and 2003-2004. We used multiple logistic regression, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analyses to assess the relationship between severe headache or migraine and ED. From 2001 to 2004, 3117 adult male participants (582 ED patients, 2535 non-ED patients) were identified. Categorical and continuous variables are described using counts and frequencies and means and standard errors, respectively. For continuous variables, the two groups were compared using survey-weighted linear regression, while for categorical variables, survey-weighted chi-square tests were performed. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that in the fully adjusted Model 3, severe headache or migraine was statistically significantly associated with ED (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.14-1.99; P = 0.0036). In the fully adjusted Model 3, the results of the subgroup analysis showed that an age of 40-60 years (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.31, P = 0.029), a body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2 (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.75, P = 0.0406) or ≥30 kg/m2 (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.07, 2.54, P = 0.022), hypertension (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.22, 2.60, P = 0.0029), diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.26, 2.31, P < 0.001), CVD (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.12, 2.10, P = 0.011) and hyperlipidemia (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.07, 3.13, P = 0.028) were associated with ED with severe headache or migraine. This study demonstrated a statistically significant association between severe headache or migraine and ED among adult men in the US. However, the results of the study should be interpreted with caution due to the failure to assess the effects of depression and anxiety on the outcomes.

Prevalence and predictors of unrecognised low sexual desire/interest in men with new onset erectile dysfunction: findings from a cross-sectional, real-life study

The interrelationship between male sexual desire and erectile dysfunction (ED) has been scantly investigated. Thus, we aimed at investigating the prevalence of and the predictors of unrecognised low sexual desire/interest (uLSD/I) in a cohort of men with new onset ED. Complete data from 1587 men seeking for first medical help for ED between 2010 and 2021 were analysed. Comorbidities were scored with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). At entrance, all patients were asked to self-report low sexual desire/interest and completed the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (depressive symptoms scored as BDI ≥ 11). The IIEF-erectile function (IIEF-EF) domain was categorised according to Cappelleri's criteria. The median value of the IIEF-sexual desire domain (IIEF-SD) was used to dichotomise men with uLSD/I along with ED (IIEF-SD < 7) vs. ED-only (IIEF-SD ≥ 7). Circulating hormones were measured in every patient. Hypogonadism was defined as total testosterone (tT) <3.0 ng/mL. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models tested the association between clinical variables and uLSD/I. Of 1197 patients not self-reporting LSD/I, 369 (30.8%) had IIEF-SD < 7. Patients with ED + uLSD/I were older [median (IQR) 54(41-63) vs. 49(36-59) years], had lower IIEF-EF [10.5(5-22) vs. 22(11-28)] but higher BDI [6(3-12) vs. 4(1-8)] and lower tT [4.3(3.2-5.7) vs. 4.8(3.2-6.3) ng/mL] compared to ED-only men (all p < 0.05). Overall, ED + uLSD/I men had higher rate of severe ED (49.9% vs. 23.9%), and of BDI ≥ 11 (30.6% vs. 18.2%) (all p < 0.05). At multivariable logistic regression analysis, lower tT (OR: 0.82), lower IIEF-EF scores (OR:0.95) and BDI ≥ 11 (OR:2.51) were independently associated with ED + uLSD/I, after accounting for age (all p < 0.05). Almost 30% of men seeking first medical help for ED-only had also uLSD/I. Men with both conditions were older, had higher rates of severe ED and more depressive symptoms. A detailed investigation of sexual desire should be always included in men self-complaining only of ED.

Psychosexual dysfunction in male patients with cannabis dependence and synthetic cannabinoid dependence

OBJECTIVE

There are contradicting reports regarding the relationship between cannabis use and male sexual functions with almost no data about synthetic cannabinoids (SC) and its effect on male sexual functions. This study investigates psychological concerns related to male sexual functions among cannabis and SC users. The research aims to assess different sexual functions and aspects of sexual psychopathology in cannabis and SCs dependent men compared to controls.

METHOD

Thirty male patients with cannabis dependence, thirty male patients with SCs dependence and thirty matched controls from the outpatient clinic of Kasr Al Ainy hospital, Egypt, were assessed using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV TR Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), and Sexuality scale.

RESULTS

The means of IIEF questionnaire in the cannabis and SC group were significant lower than the means of the control group (P < .001) except the orgasmic function in cannabis group (P = .052). In the SCs group, sexual depression was higher and preoccupation lower than the cannabis (P < .020; P < .003, respectively) and control groups (P < .001; P < .001, respectively). The duration and dose of intake of cannabis and SCs correlated significant with sexual esteem, sexual preoccupation and all domains of IIEF.

CONCLUSION

Cannabis and SC dependence were associated with lower erectile function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction and overall satisfaction, and lower orgasmic functions in the SC group than controls. Both groups showed higher sexual depression, lower sexual esteem and sexual preoccupation than controls. SC has a higher negative impact on male sexual functions and psychopathology than cannabis.

Returning to employment following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant: A major problem among survivors

Quality of life (QoL) is an important aspect of cancer survivorship. One of the most acute problems that impact survivors in many aspects of activities of daily living and compromise their QoL is the inability to return to employment following successful cancer therapy. This is most prominent among survivors after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT). More than 50% of the survivors following allo-HSCT remain unemployed one year after the procedure. This problem extends beyond the initial few years; unemployment rates among those who underwent allo-HSCT during their childhoods or adolescence have remained high. The inability to return to employment imposes a financial burden. Survivors following allo-HSCT also experience a multitude of chronic psychosocial complications that may be both contributing and consequential to the inability to return to employment. However, many transplant programs and cancer centers do not have return-to-employment programs. In this review paper, we discuss the prevalence of unemployment following allo-HSCT. We examine the psychosocial symptoms experienced by survivors and how they may affect survivors' ability to return to employment. Finally, we propose a multi-disciplinary multi-pronged occupation-focused approach to address the complex and inter-related psychosocial symptoms to help alleviate the problem.

What Distinguishes Males With Sexual Dysfunction Who Present to Either Psychiatrists or Urologists?

Background Organic and psychological causes are intertwined in the etiology of sexual dysfunction (SD). Another important point, as well as the importance of etiology in the treatment of sexual dysfunctions, is understanding people's approaches to the problem. This study was planned to investigate whether there is a relationship between self-esteem and body perception levels of patients with sexual dysfunction and preferential applications to urology or psychiatry outpatient clinics. Methodology The study included 125 patients who sought treatment at urology and psychiatry outpatient clinics and were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction (ED) or premature ejaculation (PE) as a result of clinical evaluation. Sociodemographic data forms, the International Erectile Function Index (IIEF-6), the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT), the Body Image Questionnaire (BIQ), and the Self-Esteem Rating Scale (SERS), were administered to the patients. Results When the patients were evaluated according to their complaints, there was no difference between the groups in body image or self-esteem. However, when the preferential admissions were evaluated through outpatient clinics, the self-esteem and body perception levels were high in the patients who applied primarily to the psychiatry outpatient clinic (p = 0.032, p = 0.046). Conclusion Psychological factors may affect male sexual dysfunctions in treatment admissions. It is important that andrology and psychiatry doctors work in cooperation in the treatment of sexual dysfunctions.

Serum nesfatin-1 level in men with diabetes and erectile dysfunction correlates with generalized anxiety disorder-7: A prospective comparative study

BACKGROUND

Current studies have suggested a close link between nesfatin-1, an appetite-related neuropeptide and gonadal hormones.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the association between nesfatin-1 serum level and erectile dysfunction severity in men with diabetes as well as the generalized anxiety disorder-7 questionnaire, the patient health questionnaire-9, serum testosterone, kidney and liver functions, glycated haemoglobin and lipid profile.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seventy-five participants between 30 and 60 years were enrolled, 25 erectile dysfunction patients with type 2 diabetes (group I), 21 with diabetes and preserved erectile function (group II) and 29 healthy controls (group III). Erectile dysfunction status and severity were determined by the Arabic version of the international index of erectile function-5 for all the participants. Psychological wellbeing was checked by the generalized anxiety disorder-7 questionnaire and the patient health questionnaire-9. Finally, participants were evaluated for serum nesfatin-1, serum testosterone, kidney and liver functions, glycated haemoglobin and lipid profile.

RESULTS

Serum nesfatin-1 levels were significantly lower in groups I and II compared to the controls. The international index of erectile function-5 scores had shown significant correlations with serum nesfatin-1, serum testosterone, generalized anxiety disorder-7, patient health questionnaire-9, diastolic blood pressure, glycated haemoglobin, triglycerides, creatinine and albumin/creatinine ratio. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that serum nesfatin-1 ≥ 0.62 ng/ml, serum testosterone ≥2.9 ng/ml, generalized anxiety disorder-7 score ≥7.5, patient health questionnaire-9 score ≥5, glycated hemoglobin ≥6.4%, triglycerides ≥ 144 mg/dl, creatinine ≥ 0.85 mg/dl and albumin/creatinine ratio ≥ 26.5 are useful predictors of erectile dysfunction in men with type 2 diabetes, and the area under the curve for those variables was respectively 0.83, 0.76, 1, 0.75, 0.88, 0.72, 0.67 and 0.77. Finally, a linear regression analysis revealed that generalized anxiety disorder-7 was the only strong independent predictor of the international index of erectile function-5 (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Nesfatin-1 can be used as a biomarker for the severity of anxiety in erectile dysfunction patients with diabetes. Use of this molecule in treatment of diabetes and erectile dysfunction should be strengthened by larger studies. Psychiatric care must be offered to patients with diabetes and erectile dysfunction and low serum nesfatin-1 as they experience intense anxiety and depression.

Sexual dysfunction and associated factors in Thai patients with psychiatric disorders

Background

Sexual dysfunction is common among patients with psychiatric disorders but might be under-reported due to Asian sociocultural factors. Recognition of sexual dysfunction and associated factors in this vulnerable population would help clinicians properly assess and manage related conditions.

Aims

We aimed to examine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and its associated factors among patients with psychiatric disorders in Thailand.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study. We enrolled participants aged 18 and older who visited the psychiatry clinic at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand between August 2020 and December 2021. Demographic and clinical data were assessed, and all psychiatric disorders and sexual dysfunctions were diagnosed by clinical interview using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Statistical analysis was done to explore the association between sexual dysfunction and related factors.

Results

Sexual dysfunction was diagnosed in 101 (50.0%) of the total 202 participants. The mean (standard deviation, SD) age was 30.2 (9.0) years, and the majority of patients were men (54.5%), single (81.2%), employed (47.5%) and had a coexisting depressive disorder (48.0%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between sexual dysfunction and quality of life, unemployment, and the dosage of antidepressants and benzodiazepines.

Conclusions

The prevalence of sexual dysfunction among this population was relatively high. However, the findings may represent only a portion of affected psychiatric patients for others with sexual dysfunction symptoms but without functional impairment did not meet the diagnostic criteria for sexual dysfunction. Improvement of quality of life and optimising antidepressant/benzodiazepine dosage should be further investigated for promoting sexual function in patients with mental disorders.

Digitalization and Urological Diseases: Severity of Cyberchondria and Level of Health Anxiety in Patients Visiting Outpatient Urology Clinics

This study aimed to evaluate the cyberchondria levels of patients who applied to the urology outpatient clinic. The second goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between cyberchondria severity and health anxiety in these patients. The present prospective observational study was conducted at the urology outpatient clinic of two tertiary centers in our city between September and December 2021. Eligible patients were the adult patients (>18 and ≤60 years) who used the Internet for health purposes and had no self-reported psychological or mental disease. The patients were divided into following groups according to their complaints: general urology, uro-oncology, andrology, functional urology, and endourology (stone disease). The level of cyberchondria and health anxiety was evaluated for these patients by using the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) and a short-form version of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12). This study enrolled 578 patients (190 female, 388 male). The mean age of patients was 43.4 ± 13.3 years (18-60 years). The mean CSS-12 was 28.1 ± 12.1, and the mean value of SHAI was 18.9 ± 13.6. The patients had andrological symptoms, is uniquely related to higher CSS and health anxiety, and followed by uro-oncological diseases. However, the least relationship was observed in patients with functional urological diseases (analysis of variance [ANOVA], p < 0.001 for CSS-12; p < 0.001 for SHAI). In addition, a positive correlation was observed between the CSS and SHAI (Pearson's correlation = 0.782). The increased level of cyberchondria causes increased health anxiety and an increased disease burden in these patients. Therefore, physicians should consider this increased treatment burden during the treatment of patients.

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.

The Efficacy of Acupuncture on Patients with Erectile Dysfunction: A Review

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common sexual dysfunctions in men. The prevalence of ED has been increasing in recent years, which has critically affected male reproductive health and quality of life. According to various guidelines, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors are the most commonly recommended drugs for treating ED. However, many patients turn to alternative therapies because of adverse reactions, such as headache, and the poor efficacy of these drugs. Acupuncture is a long-established treatment in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been approved by the World Health Organization for improving penile erection as well as other discomforts in patients. However, previous systematic reviews have not discussed the characteristics and the related mechanisms of acupuncture treatment. Therefore, this study focuses on summarizing the characteristics and advantages of TCM in acupuncture treatment for ED based on relevant literature and on predicting and analyzing the related mechanisms.

Migraine Is Associated With High Risk of Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Cumulative Analysis

BACKGROUND

Migraine, a common chronic primary headache, has been found to be associated with a high risk of erectile dysfunction (ED).

AIM

The present study aims to summarize all the evidence related to this topic and demonstrate a quantified result on the association between migraine and ED, which has not been reported in the literature.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica Database, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for identifying the eligible studies (2000-2021). This study was registered in the PROSPERO (ID: CRD42021248013).

OUTCOMES

The combined effects were synthesized with the relative risks (RR) or standard mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

6 trials with a total of 51,657 participants were included, of which 6,175 were men with migraine. The pooled analysis indicated that migraine was associated with a significantly higher risk of ED as compared to the non-migraine general population (RR = 1.63, 95%CI: 1.34 to 2.0, P < .001). Consistently, men with migraine have a significantly lower IIEF-5 score than healthy controls (SMD = -3.64, 95%CI: -6.4 to -0.89, P = .01). Stratification analysis on the mean age indicated that the association between migraine and ED was much stronger in the migraine patients with age < 40 years (RR = 32.29, 95% CI: 6.41-162.64, P < .001; I2 = 0.0 %, P = .837) than in those with age > 40 years (RR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.11-2.78, P = .017; I2 = 89.2%, P = .002). Sensitivity analysis indicated that no single study had dominated the combined RR and the heterogeneity.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

ED is a common disease among migraine men, especially those patients whose age is under 40 years old. It shows a 32-fold increased risk of ED compared to the healthy controls. Migraine-induced ED may be correlated with multiple factors, that is, chronic illnesses, chronic pain, and psychosocial causes (like anxiety and depression). Since phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (ie, sildenafil) might induce or exacerbate migraine, thus it is not recommended to prescribe these drugs for patients with migraine-mediated ED.

CONCLUSION

The present study provides evidence that migraine is associated with a significantly high risk of ED, especially in those aged < 40 years. The pathophysiological mechanisms of this action deserve further study. He W, Yang Y, Liang H, et al. Migraine Is Associated With High Risk of Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Cumulative Analysis. J Sex Med 2022;19:430-440.