Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in male stroke patients, and associated co-morbidities and risk factors

Sexual problems have been a common finding in chronically ill and physically disabled patients such as those with cerebrovascular accidents. Previous studies have supported the association between stroke and erectile dysfunction (ED).

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ED and its severity in male stroke patients in Qatar and to assess the co-morbidities and risk factors associated with ED.

This was a cross-sectional study.

The study was conducted from January to December 2006 at the Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

Eight hundred Qatari and non-Qatari patients 35-75 years of age were invited to participate in this study; 605 patients gave their consent, which was a response rate of 75.6%.

Face-to-face interviews were based on a questionnaire that included socio-demographic factors. The classification of the type of stroke was made according to the criteria of stroke by the World Health Organization (WHO). All patients completed a second questionnaire addressing their general medical history, type of treatment and co-morbidity with other diseases or risk factors. Sexual function was evaluated with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF).

The mean age of subjects was 56.1+/-9.8 years. Approximately 48.3% of the studied population reported some degree of erectile dysfunction. Of the stroke patients with ED, 36% had severe ED, 32.9% had moderate ED and 31.2% had mild ED. More than half of the stroke patients (59.6%) with ED were in the age group 60-75 years. The prevalence of ED increased with increasing age. The co-morbidities and risk factors were significantly more prominent in ED patients than in those without ED for hypercholesterolemia (P<0.001), diabetes (P=0.002), and hypertension (P=0.031). Medication taken for these diseases also had a significant association with ED.

Our study findings revealed a greater prevalence of ED in stroke patients in the population of Qatar. The most important co-morbid factors for ED in stroke patients were diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, and the risk factors were smoking and obesity.