Mean platelet volume as a predictive marker of erectile dysfunction: a meta-analysis

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a global health problem that commonly occurs due to multiple factors, particularly by a vascular abnormality with the activation of platelet (PLT). Mean platelet volume (MPV), a PLT activity marker, has been hypothesized to be associated with ED. The present meta-analysis aims to evaluate the MPV and its contribution to ED diagnosis. A systematic searching to summarize the association of MPV as a predictive marker for ED was conducted on two databases, including MEDLINE (PubMed) and CINAHL (EBSCOhost). We included all English studies that measured MPV levels in ED and non-ED subjects. A total of 168 publications were initially retrieved and screened systematically. 12 studies with 1643 subjects were included for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The MPV mean difference between ED patients and healthy subjects; vasculogenic and non-vasculogenic ED showed significant differences. Our findings show PLT is associated with the development of ED. Higher MPV level was found in the ED subjects compared to the healthy controls. Nevertheless, the evidence is still limited due to the small number of studies and further investigations are required to support the utilization of MPV for ED diagnosis.