The Effects of Metabolic Syndrome on Severity of Erectile Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. It is associated with various clinically significant systemic problems. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of metabolic syndrome (MS) on erectile dysfunction (ED) in COPD patients. Secondary end point of the study is to evaluate other factors influencing severity of ED in COPD patients. One hundred forty male patients with stable COPD and 80 age-matched control subjects were enrolled. Diagnosis of MS was made by using The National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III. International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire was performed. Patients who had severe to moderate ED were grouped as group 1; patients who had mild, mild-moderate to absence of ED were classified as group 2. All of the COPD patients (%100) and 68% of control subjects had varying degrees of ED (p<0.05). Severity of ED was significantly worse in patient group than control subjects (p<0.0001). The frequency of MS was higher in group 1 than group 2 ( 74% vs 30.8%) (p<0.05). Mean age of patients in group 1 was higher than group 2 (p<0.005). This study showed that the frequency of ED is significantly higher in COPD patients than control subjects and ED is more severe in COPD patients, especially who have MS. The presence of ED should be evaluated in male COPD patients, especially when MS accompanies. Further studies are needed to clarify the exact mechanisms of MS on development of ED.