Erectile Dysfunction

Dr. William Aiken has shared the following information from WebMD with me:

COVID-19 increases the risk of developing erectile dysfunction(ED) by nearly six times, according to data from the first study to investigate the association between ED and COVID-19 in young men in a real-life setting.

The preliminary numbers also indicated that having ED also increased men’s susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Men with ED are more than five times more likely to have COVID-19.

For men with a history of COVID-19, the estimated risk of developing ED was 5.66 higher. Those numbers remained even after other factors considered.

The study, which was led by Emmanuele A. Jannini, MD, professor of endocrinology and medical sexology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy, was published on 20 March in Andrology.

ED can be both a short-term and a long-term complication of COVID-19, Jannini suggests.

"When offered, men should have the COVID vaccination. It also gives a whole new meaning to wearing the mask ― mask up to keep it up," he says. "It could possibly have the added benefit of preventing sexual dysfunction."

He points out that older age, diabetes, high body mass index (BMI), and smoking increase the risk of contracting COVID-19.

"These are the same as risk factors for ED. Results of our study agree with the pathophysiological mechanisms linking ED, endothelial dysfunction, and COVID-19. Basically, endothelial dysfunction is common in both conditions [COVID-10 and ED].

"We would like to find some sort of biomarker of endothelial dysfunction (a form of coronary artery disease) post COVID, because it seems that there are many sequelae that coexist for a long time after infection," added Jannini. "Asking a patient if they have ED after COVID might provide a measure of systemic wellness."

Allan Pacey, MD, professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom, welcomed the research, noting, "This seems to be a well-conducted study. However, at the moment, the relationship is just a correlation, and it might be that some of the comorbidities that increased the men's chances of getting a significant COVID-19 infection may have also independently increased their chances of erectile dysfunction.

"But the authors offer a plausible mechanism by which COVID-19 may impact directly on erectile function," agrees Pacey. Adding, "There’s more work to be done.

"I'd also argue it's a good reason for men to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and take the vaccine when it's offered to them."

Urologist John Mulhall, MD, from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, remarked, "It was a highly preliminary study, but the data are suggestive of a potential link between COVID-19 infection and ED.

"However, it raises enough questions such that further large, more long-term analyses are required to define causation. Future studies assessing testosterone levels and erectile hemodynamics will be needed to provide definite evidence of a causative link," he stressed.

To read the full article, click here. 

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