The association between urinary organophosphate insecticide metabolites and erectile dysfunction in the United States

Organophosphate (OP) insecticides are the main chemicals used in agriculture for pest elimination, and they have been linked with many diseases. However, there is no literature regarding the impacts of organophosphate insecticide metabolite exposure on erectile dysfunction (ED). We aimed to evaluate the correlation between 4 urinary organophosphate insecticide metabolites and the presence of ED in a representative sample of men aged 20 and older. The dataset including a total of 555 subjects was obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004. ED was assessed by a question from a self-report questionnaire. Weighted proportions and multivariable logistic regression analysis were utilized to examine the relationship between organophosphate insecticide metabolite exposure and ED. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, diethylphosphate (DEP) was positively correlated with ED (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.01-1.14; P = 0.033) after full adjustment. Men in DEP tertile 4 had a significant 33% higher risk of ED than those in tertile 1. Furthermore, in a subgroup analysis, our results showed that higher DEP levels were significantly associated with ED in the young age group (20 ≤ age ≤ 39). Our study revealed a significant association between organophosphate insecticide metabolite exposure and an increased risk of ED. Moreover, the correlations were more evident in the young age group. The evaluation of urinary organophosphate insecticide metabolite exposure should be included in the risk assessment of ED. Further study to investigate the underlying mechanism, such as how long the urinary metabolite is present, whether ED is reversible in this population by lowering DEP concentrations, and how exposure to this metabolite affects erectile tissue, is warranted.