Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and the risk factors of erectile dysfunction in a Chinese cohort of hemodialysis (HD) patients.
Methods: 63 male hemodialysis patients were assigned to HD group and 47 health volunteers were recruited as controls. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) was used to assess erectile dysfunction (ED). All data were obtained by patient interviews and medical chart review. We measured the blood sex hormone of all the patients and volunteers. We divided those under 50 years HD patients into two groups according to erectile function (EF) score, Group A: EF score>=12, no ED or mild ED; Group B: EF score<12, moderate or severe ED.
Results: The incidence of ED was significantly higher and the erectile function score was significantly lower in the HD group than that in the control group. The level of follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, estradiol, progesterone were significantly higher and the level of testosterone was significantly lower in the HD group than that in the control group. Patients in Group A were younger and duration of dialysis were shorter than patients in Group B. The level of high density lipoprotein was higher and FSH was lower in Group A than that in Group B. A significant negative correlation was found between the EF score and the age, duration of dialysis, the level of FSH and PRL in the HD group. There was a positive correlation trend between EF score and T level, but this did not reach statistical significance (p>0.05). More patients had hypertension in the HD group.
Conclusion: The age, duration of dialysis, hypertension, lipid disorder, the abnormality of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis were risk factors for ED in HD patients.