Novel anthropometric measures are positively associated with erectile dysfunction: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Obesity research
• Urology
• Public health

Background:

• Obesity is linked to erectile dysfunction (ED), but traditional measures like BMI are insufficient for risk assessment.
• Novel anthropometric indices may offer better insights into ED risk.
• This study explores the association between new anthropometric indices and ED.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between novel anthropometric indices and erectile dysfunction (ED).
• To compare the predictive power of various anthropometric indices for ED risk.
• To inform improved prevention and treatment strategies for ED.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 3594 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
• Calculated multiple anthropometric indices: waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), body mass index (BMI), a body shape index (ABSI), conicity index (CI), and body roundness index (BRI).
• Employed multivariate logistic regression, restricted cubic splines (RCS), interaction analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Main Results:

• All anthropometric measures except BMI showed a positive, independent correlation with ED.
• Increased ABSI and CI were significantly associated with higher ED risk (49% and 42% per SD increase, respectively).
• ABSI demonstrated superior predictive ability for ED (AUC: 0.750) compared to other indices, independent of BMI.

Conclusions:

• Novel anthropometric indicators (ABSI, BRI, WtHR, CI, WC) are positively associated with erectile dysfunction.
• These new indices offer valuable insights for ED risk assessment.
• Greater consideration of these advanced anthropometric indicators is recommended for ED prevention and treatment.