Association between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular risk factors in a Nigeria tertiary hospital

INTRODUCTION: Erectile dysfunction has adverse effects on the marital harmony and self-esteem of affected persons. It is shrouded in shame in our environment, hence affecting self-reporting of the condition. It is linked to CVDs in its etiology. The objective was to determine the relationship between erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular risk factors to recommend them as indicators for screening for ED in our environment. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analytical study of 243 men at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Participants were recruited by systematic random sampling, excluding those on aphrodisiacs. Erectile dysfunction was measured using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5), and ED was defined as a score <17. CVD risk factors were obtained from history and examination. Univariate analysis and logistic regressions were used to elicit associations between ED and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of ED was 47.3%. Erectile dysfunction was associated with increasing age (χ2=27, p<0.01), harmful alcohol use (χ2=3.08, p= 0.079), diabetes (χ2=8.29, p=0.04), and hypertension (χ2=12.28, p =0.01) following bivariate analysis. However, only advanced age (aOR=0.04, 95% CI: 0.00-0.54, p = 0.014) and harmful alcohol use (aOR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.04-0.97, p=0.043) were independently associated with ED after binary logistic regression. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of ED is high high. It is associated with age, harmful alcohol use, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, hence the need to screen for ED, especially in the presence of these factors.