Objective:Erectile dysfunction (ED) reflects risk for systemic cardiovascular diseases due to common etiology of vascular endothelial dysfunction reported to increasingly affect young adults.
Based on physiological phenomenon of reactive hyperemia (RH), systemic and penile endothelial functions in healthy young adults were compared using digital data on arterial waveforms before and after RH induction.
Methods:Between July 2009 and March 2011, 32 young adult volunteers with normal erectile functions were recruited. Questionnaires on medical histories and sexual functions, and blood samples for testosterone and biochemical studies were obtained. Dilatation index (DI) and penile arterial waveform amplitude (PAWA) ratios for assessing systemic and penile endothelial function were acquired using Air Pressure Sensing System (APSS) on arm and Penile Arterial Waveform Analyzing System on penis, respectively. Criterion of total cholesterol/high density lipoprotein (TC/HDL) ratio>4.1 was used for defining high-risk for ED.
Results:Remarkable positive correlation was noted between DI and PAWA ratio (R=0.640, P< 0.001). DI showed significant positive associations with serum testosterone (P=0.012) and serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level, while it showed negative correlations with total triglyceride and glycosylated hemoglobulin levels, body weight, waist circumference, body mass index, and diastolic blood pressure. Similarly, PAWA ratio showed significant positive correlations with serum testosterone (P< 0.001) and HDL levels, but negative associations with body weight, waist circumference, and body mass index. Both DI and PAWA ratio successfully identified subjects at high-risk for ED (e.g. TC/HDL ratio>4.1) (P< 0.05).
Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that penile endothelial function can be assessed through evaluating systemic endothelial function in young healthy adults for early identification of risk for ED.
Written by:
Wu HT, Lee CH, Chen CJ, Tsai IT, Sun CK. Are you the author?
Reference: J Androl. 2012 May 17. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.2164/jandrol.112.016360
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22604628
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