Is Erectile Dysfunction A Marker of Undiagnosed Diabetes?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) should be considered a marker of undiagnosed diabetes, particularly in middle-aged men, according to a recent study.

While ED is known to be an indicator of future cardiovascular disease, there is a lack of research on the association between ED and undiagnosed cardiometabolic risk factors like diabetes.
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In order to further explore this association, researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of men who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2001 and 2004. ED was identified by a single, validated survey question.

Using logistic regression analyses, researchers found that the likelihood of undiagnosed diabetes in men with ED was more than double that of those without ED (odds ratio 2.20). In men between 40 and 59-years-old, the risk was even higher, with the predicted probability of having diabetes being 1 in 10 for men with ED compared to 1 in 50 for men without ED. ED was not associated with undiagnosed hypercholesterolemia or hypertension.

“Our results underscore the importance of erectile dysfunction as a marker of undiagnosed diabetes. Erectile dysfunction should be a trigger to initiate diabetes screening, particularly among middle-aged men,” they concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Skeldon SC, Detsky AS, Goldenberg SL, Law MR. Erectile dysfunction and undiagnosed diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. Ann Fam Med. 2015;13(4):331-335.