Clinical Correlates of Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Erectile Dysfunction Attending the Family Medicine Clinic in a Southern State of Nigeria

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to provide evidence on the clinical correlates of type 2 diabetic patients with erectile dysfunction leading to improved quality of life.  Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Family Medicine Clinic of Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH) [now Rivers University Teaching Hospital] Port Harcourt. The data was collected from January 2012 to April 2012. Methodology: This hospital-based study was conducted on 324 male type 2 diabetic patients using systematic random sampling. The data were collected with a structured questionnaire; and the level of erectile dysfunction was measured using the international index of erectile function. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16. Logistic regression was employed to test associations between independent and outcome variables. Results: Three hundred and twenty-four patients enrolled for the study. Only 31 participants (9.5%) had normal erectile function while 273 (90.5%) had varying degree of erectile dysfunction. Majority of the participants 205(63.2%) had diabetes above 20 years, more than half (64.9%) had poor glucose control, 169(52.1%) were overweight, while 284(87.6%) had normal cholesterol level and 186(57.4%) with elevated diastolic blood pressure. Duration of diabetes and diastolic hypertension were the only factors associated with erectile dysfunction p<0.0001 and p<0.004 respectively. Conclusion: This study confirmed a high prevalence of ED in type 2 diabetic male patients especially among those with elevated blood pressure and those living with diabetes mellitus for many years.