Asthma may increase the risk of erectile dysfunction

The increased prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) has been reported in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and systemic inflammation may play a role in this association. Asthma is also a chronic inflammatory airway disorder, eliciting a low-grade systemic inflammation.

This study analyzed a nationwide, population-based database in Taiwan from 2000 to 2007 which included newly diagnosed asthma cases in male patients 18–55 years old.

Of the 17,000 patients (asthmatics and controls), 0.66% experienced ED during the follow-up period of 4.5 years - 0.98% of the asthma patients and 0.58% from the control group.

Subjects with asthma experienced a 1.9-fold increase in incident ED, which was independent of age and other comorbidities. The risk of ED was higher with more frequent clinical visits for asthma.

Asthma may be an independent risk factor for ED, and risk of ED probably increases in accordance with asthma severity.

References:
Chou K-T, Huang C-C, Chen Y-M, Perng D-W, Chao H-S, Chan W-L, and Leu H-B. Asthma and risk of erectile dysfunction—A nationwide population-based study. J Sex Med, 2011.

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