An identikit of patients seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction in Italy: results from the EDOS Italian database

Erectile Dysfunction Observational Study (EDOS) is a 6 months observational, prospective, multicentre trial, which enrolled more than 8,000 patients referring to physicians to seek treatment for ED or to modify their current therapy; it was conducted in 9 European countries. Objective of this trial was to outline general characteristics of these populations and related treatment patterns, to assess their efficacy, motivation for treatment extension or discontinuation and patients' overall satisfaction in clinical practice. Baseline characteristics of Italian enrolled population provide the Italian patient profile seeking ED treatment.

The Italian centres involved in this study enrolled, from April 2003 to April 2004, 1,419 men, aged over 18. All of them had already requested to their general practitioner or specialist to start a treatment for ED or to modify a previously initiated therapy. Baseline assessment together with all demographic data, included collecting information about: education, socioeconomic position, clinical history, co-morbidities, ED current therapies, concomitant pharmacological therapies (antidepressants, antihypertensive and other cardiovascular drugs, hypolipidemic drugs, antipsychotics, and anti-cancer agents). All patients filled in IIEF-EF e SF-PAIRS questionnaires, and responded to single item question I (SIQ1: During last 6 months, did not your erection last long enough for you to start and have a successful sexual intercourse?).

Of the 1,419 men enrolled, 1,357 were eligible for the study. Mean age was 55 years and BMI=26.8 kg/mn. 83% of patients' education was above primary school; 52% had a full time job, while 37% was retired. 88.5% reported a steady relationship, and 71.5% reported that this relationship had been longer than 10 years. 70.4% of patients were smokers or ex-smokers, while potus history was infrequent. ED was mild or moderate in 61.6% cases and had a psychogenic, organic or mixed origin respectively in 24%, 33% and 43%; 59% of patients had a story of ED more than one year. 43% was assuming other drugs for concurrent diseases, mainly antihypertensive drugs (71%).

Italian outcomes from EDOS study allow us to outline the "average patient" profile, who in Italian clinical practice seeks treatment for ED.