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Published on: February 17, 2023
The Association Between Insomnia, Insomnia Medications, and Erectile Dysfunction
Federico Belladelli1, Shufeng Li2, Chiyuan A Zhang3
1Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology, URI, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Men with insomnia, whether treated or untreated, face a significantly higher risk of developing erectile dysfunction (ED). Insomnia treatments may also correlate with increased ED treatment prescriptions.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Sleep Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Insomnia affects one-third of adults and is linked to health issues.
- Insomnia and its treatments may negatively impact male erectile function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between insomnia diagnosis/treatment and erectile dysfunction (ED).
Main Methods:
- Utilized IBM MarketScan databases (2007-2016) with age- and enrollment-matched controls.
- Employed Cox proportional hazard models to assess ED risk following insomnia diagnosis/treatment, adjusting for comorbidities.
Main Results:
- Both untreated and treated insomnia were associated with increased risks of ED diagnosis (HR 1.58 and 1.66, respectively).
- Treated insomnia correlated with higher risks of ED treatments like PDE5 inhibitors (HR 1.52) and intracavernous injections (HR 1.32).
Conclusions:
- A consistent association exists between insomnia and ED diagnosis.
- Insomnia diagnosis alone increases ED risk; pharmacological treatments further correlate with ED treatment.
- Further research is needed to clarify the insomnia-ED relationship.
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