The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity is a predictive factor for erectile dysfunction in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction Phosphodiesterase (PDE) 5 inhibitors induce relaxation of endothelial cells. Tadalafil, one of PDE 5 inhibitors, has been applied for the treatments of erectile dysfunction (ED) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Under continuous treatments with PDE 5 inhibitor for BPH, it is significant to investigate the relationship between endothelial and sexual functions by comparing the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).and the sexual health inventory for men (SHIM) score. Objectives Total 89 BPH patients who consulted our clinic with a complaint of urinary symptoms were enrolled in this prospective study. They were treated with a daily dose of 5mg tadalafil. Methods The Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved this clinical study and informed consents had been obtained from 89 BPH patients. Their vessels endothelial function was assessed by baPWV and erectile function was evaluated by SHIM score. International prostate symptom score (IPSS) was obtained as male lower urinary symptoms (LUTS) parameters. However, we focused on the relationship between vessels endothelial and erectile function in this sub-analysis report. Therefore, the SHIM scores were compared with baPWV and IPSS at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 and 84 months after PDE5 inhibitor treatment. Results The mean age of 89 patients was 66.7 +/- 11.1 years old. Their prostate size was 29.8 +/- 21.2 ml. Initial SHIM, baPWV and IPSS score were 7.4 +/- 5.6, 1742.5 +/- 393.0 cm/sec and 17.5+/- 7.5, respectively. Before tadalafil treatment, baPWV and SHIM were significantly correlated (p=0.0025) which indicated patients with low vessels endothelial function vessels endothelial function suffered from erectile dysfunction. F4rthere06re, all the data of baPWV and SHIM including after tadalafil treatment from 3 to 84 months (n=472) were significantly co-related each other (p<0.0001). On the other hand, baPWV were significantly improved from 3 to12 months after tadalafil administration, however baPWV levels returned to the baseline levels after 24 to 84 months. SHIM score was significantly improved from 3 to24 months after tadalafil administration, however SHIM levels returned to the baseline levels after 36 to 84 months. Conclusions Our previous paper (Aging Male 21, 2018) reported that PDE5 inhibitors improved ED, male LUTS and baPWV from 3 to 12 months. The present data also suggested that endothelial function and male LUTS strongly related to ED in BPH patients. However, baPWV and SHM score levels returned to the baseline levels after 24 and 36 months, respectively. Thus, tadalafil can delay vessels endothelial and erectile dysfunction in BPH patients. In addition, erectile dysfunction seems to be occurred after vessels endothelial dysfunction. Hence, baPWV might be a predictive factor for ED in BPH patients with tadalafil treatments. Disclosure Work supported by industry: no.