[Men's health study: current status of erectile dysfunction of 6,112 ambulatory patients at general practitioners offices in Japan]

The present study was performed to assess the current status of erectile dysfunction (ED) and so-called male climacteric disorders in male ambulatory patients through a self-administered questionnaire survey throughout Japan. The survey was especially focused on the relationship between ED, depression, and benign prostatic hyperplasia, the effect of ED on quality of life, and current status of ED treatment.

The total number of completed questionnaire forms was 6,112 from 447 outpatient clinics. ED was strongly correlated with prostate disease, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease. Patients evaluated as ED by the shortened version of International Index of Erectile Function, IIEF-5, accounted for 81% of the evaluable replies. Thirty-two percent of these patients had either severe or moderate ED. Severity of ED was related to depression, dysuria, and perceived poor health condition. The proportion of ED patients who had received some ED treatments was 10%. Among ED patients, 22% of them were willing to receive pharmacotherapy for ED and the need was significantly high in patients with severer ED.

ED is one of the symptoms frequently observed among male ambulatory patients. Physicians should be encouraged to ask their patients about their ED, in order to identify their unmet need for treatment.