BACKGROUND:

Erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve and maintain an erection that enables satisfactory sexual penetration 50% of the time within a 3-month period. Diabetes mellitus is the organic cause in 30% of cases, but despite this relation, the prevalence of erectile dysfunction is not well known in Mexico.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the association between glycemic control and erectile dysfunction in diabetic patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

An observational, cross-sectional, analytic study included 362 diabetic patients that did not complain of complications at the time of the study. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire was applied to detect whether or not the patients presented with erectile dysfunction. Their glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were compared and the association with erectile dysfunction was analyzed through the odds ratio.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of erectile dysfunction in the 362 patients was 72.3% (n = 272). Of those ED patients, 80.9% (n = 212) had inadequate glycemic control, with an odds ratio of 6.92 (95% CI: 4.16 to 11.50).

CONCLUSIONS:

The odds ratio of presenting with erectile dysfunction for diabetic men with inadequate glycemic control and patients with adequate glycemic control was observed as 7:1.

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