[The role of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism in development of erectile dysfunction in patients with...

To ascertain relations between angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism and erectile dysfunction (ED) in male citizens of Russia with metabolic syndrome, we made a retrospective comparative analysis of ACE gene polymorphism incidence rate in two groups of males with metabolic syndrome: with ED (n=385) and free of ED (n=152). We discovered that ED patients have DD genotype and D-allele more frequently (68.3 vs. 38.2%, p < 0.001 and 81.3 vs 63.8%, p < 0.001, respectively). Moreover, severe ED is associated with significantly more frequent incidence of genotype DD compared to moderate and mild ED. Incidence of allele D is also more frequent in patients with severe ED (93.4%). Thus, D-allele of ACE gene is an ED risk factor in males with metabolic syndrome. Therefore, ED can be considered as one of vascular complications of metabolic syndrome.