Erectile dysfunction in men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: cross-sectional study in a Spanish population.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe sexual life and determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted with 120 male patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for 2 years since 2021. Participants completed a comprehensive questionnaire that included the International Index of Erectile Function, selected items from the Questionnaire on Changes in Sexual Function, and additional questions about sexual health. Erectile dysfunction was considered clinically significant with an International Index of Erectile Function score ≤16. No formal a priori sample size calculation was performed because participant recruitment was based on consecutive inclusion during a 2-year study period. RESULTS: In total, 113 participants (94.2%) reported experiencing changes in their sex life and 42 (36%) were dissatisfied. The main factors contributing to these changes were the underlying disease (53.3%), medication use (20.8%), and psychological problems (20%). The mean International Index of Erectile Function score was 13.8 (7.0), with an erectile dysfunction prevalence of 87.5%. Erectile dysfunction was mild in 33 patients (27.5%), mild-to-moderate in 26 (21.7%), moderate in 21 (17.5%), and severe in 25 (20.8%). Multivariate analysis identified dyslipidemia (odds ratio: 4.028; 95%CI 1.428-11.361; p=0.008) and %pFEV1 (OR 0.937; 95%CI 0.906-0.968; p<0.001) as independent predictors of clinically significant erectile dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Poor sexual health and erectile dysfunction are highly prevalent among men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Dyslipidemia and impaired airflow are associated with the presence of clinically significant erectile dysfunction.