PO-01-068 Hormonal factors in patients with erectile dysfunction and diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes damages vasculature and neurones and can therefore contribute to erectile dysfunction (ED). Although endocrine abnormalities are common in patients with ED, we hypothesised that they are less important in longstanding diabetes. Therefore, patients attending the out-patient diabetes clinic for ED treatment were included. Blood pressure, fasting serum glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels were measured together with TSH, LH, FSH, prolactin and testosterone level. Ninety-five consecutive patients were analysed. They were 51+/-9 years old and had a longstanding diabetes (12 +/-8 years). 22 (23%) patients had type 1 diabetes, 70 (74%) patients had type 2 diabetes and 3 (3%) patients had other types of diabetes. 73% of patients had established peripheral polyneuropathy and 49% had macrovascular disease. In 19% ED was due to a neurological cause, in 31% to a vascular cause, in 36% to a combined neuro-vascular cause, in 11% to a psychological cause and in 3% to an iatrogenic cause. Only 1 patient had lower testosterone level, 5 patients had increased LH and 17 patients had increased FSH. Three patients had increased TSH and 1 patient had increased prolactin concentration. In patients with complete vs. partial ED there was no significant difference in hormone status. Patients with neurogenic cause of ED had a higher serum testosterone level compared to patients with vascular (28,6 +/-12,2 vs. 20,2 +/-7,4 nmol/l) or combined (22,5 +/-8,0 nmol/l; p=0,029) cause. Night-time erection was associated only with shorter duration of ED (p=0,05) but with none of the hormonal or metabolic variables investigated.