A Cross-sectional study to explore Sexual dysfunctions among male Hypertensive Patients attending Medicine OPD of Tertiary care centre, Western India

ABSTRACT

Background: Sexual dysfunction has been traditionally attributed to psychogenic origins and managed bymental health professionals and urologists. However, advances in pathophysiology research point to avascular origin of the problem in the majority of patients, possibly due to atherosclerotic lesions in the genitalarteries that result in decreased blood flow. During management of Hypertension; even the highly skilledphysicians fail to raise the question of sexual dysfunction as they have never been accustomed to do it intheir routine practice.Aim: The study has two aims- (i) to evaluate sexual dysfunctions in male patients of Hypertension and (ii)comparison of sexual dysfunctions and other variables between case and control group.Methodology: Consecutive 200 Hypertensive patients were included in the study. Individuals withcomparable age served as a control group. Detailed socio-demographic variables, substance history andtreatment history for hypertension obtained using a semi-structured Performa. Subject’s sexual dysfunctionswere assessed by ASEX (Arizona Sexual Experience Scale), IIEF (International Index of ErectileDysfunction), PEDT ( Premature ejaculation diagnostic tools).Result: Of the 200 hypertensive patients, 74(37%) participants reported erectile dysfunction, 16(8%)participants reported premature ejaculation, while among 200 normotensive participants, only 8(4%)reported erectile dysfunction, 15(7.5%) reported premature ejaculation. Of the hypertensive participantsstudied, 23% had severe, 8% had moderate, 6% had mild erectile dysfunction. Frequency of erectiledysfunction increase with advancing age.Conclusion: The present study has revealed that erectile dysfunction was a major problem, with a higherprevalence among hypertensive men than normotensive men. Age was considered statistically significantpredictors of erectile dysfunction.Keywords Sexual dysfunctions, International Index of Erectile dysfunction, Arizona sexual experiencescale, Premature ejaculation diagnostic tools, hypertension