Epinephrine is associated with both erectile dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) have a higher incidence of insulin resistance (IR) when compared with controls.

Design: Prospective case-control study.

Setting: Academic medical center.

Patient(s): Twenty-nine nondiabetic men aged 18-66 years were enrolled. Of these, 28 completed the study: 17 had ED, and 11 did not.

Intervention(s): Validated ED questionnaires, examination, serum hormones evaluation, and oral glucose tolerance testing.

Main outcome measure(s): Association of IR with ED.

Result(s): The association between worsening degrees of both lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and ED was reaffirmed, as was a potential correlation between the two-epinephrine. There was a negative association between serum levels of epinephrine and scores on the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction for ED (Spearman correlation coefficient = -0.38). On the other hand, men with ED were not more likely to have IR compared with controls.

Conclusion(s): Epinephrine may be the common link between ED and LUTS.

FIGURE 1

Correlation between ED and LUTS.

FIGURE 2

Correlation between epinephrine and ED.