Association between leucocyte telomere length and erectile dysfunction in US adults: a secondary study based on 2001-2002 NHANES data.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the association between the leucocyte telomere length (LTL) and erectile dysfunction (ED) among a nationally representative sample of US adults. DESIGN: Secondary population-based study. SETTING: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2001-2002). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1694 male participants were extracted from the NHANES database for 2001-2002. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary focus of the study was to determine the association between the LTL and ED, using multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models for examination. The secondary outcome measures involved conducting stratified subgroup analyses to exclude interactions of different variables with the LTL. RESULTS: Participants with ED had shorter LTLs than those without ED (p<0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, compared with the reference lowest LTL quartile, the ORs and 95% CIs for the second, third and fourth LTL quartiles were (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.01 to 2.26), (OR 1.79; 95% CI 1.24 to 2.58) and (OR 1.25; 95% CI 0.74 to 2.11), respectively. In addition, restricted cubic splines showed an inverted J-curve relationship between the LTL and ED. At an LTL of 1.037, the curve showed an inflection point. The ORs (95% CI) of ED on the left and right sides of the inflection point were (OR 1.99; 95% CI 0.39 to 10.20; p=0.385) and (OR 0.17; 95% CI 0.03 to 0.90; p=0.039). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated an inverted J-curve relationship between the LTL and ED. When the LTL was ≥1.037, the incidence of ED decreased with increasing LTL.

Causal associations between prostate diseases, renal diseases, renal function, and erectile dysfunction risk: a 2-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Previous observational studies have found a potential link between prostate disease, particularly prostate cancer (PCa), and kidney disease, specifically chronic renal disease (CKD), in relation to erectile dysfunction (ED), yet the causal relationship between these factors remains uncertain. Aim: The study sought to explore the potential causal association between prostate diseases, renal diseases, renal function, and risk of ED. Methods: In this study, 5 analytical approaches were employed to explore the causal relationships between various prostate diseases (PCa and benign prostatic hyperplasia), renal diseases (CKD, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, membranous nephropathy, nephrotic syndrome, and kidney ureter calculi), as well as 8 renal function parameters, with regard to ED. All data pertaining to exposure and outcome factors were acquired from publicly accessible genome-wide association studies. The methods used encompassed inverse variance weighting, MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode residual sum and outlier techniques. The MR-Egger intercept test was utilized to assess pleiotropy, while Cochran's Q statistic was employed to measure heterogeneity. Outcomes: We employed inverse variance weighting MR as the primary statistical method to assess the causal relationship between exposure factors and ED. Results: Genetically predicted PCa demonstrated a causal association with an elevated risk of ED (odds ratio, 1.125; 95% confidence interval, 1.066-1.186; P < .0001). However, no compelling evidence was found to support associations between genetically determined benign prostatic hyperplasia, CKD, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, membranous nephropathy, nephrotic syndrome, kidney ureter calculi, and the renal function parameters investigated, and the risk of ED. Clinical Implications: The risk of ED is considerably amplified in patients diagnosed with PCa, thereby highlighting the importance of addressing ED as a significant concern for clinicians treating individuals with PCa. Strengths and Limitations: This study's strength lies in validating the PCa-ED association using genetic analysis, while its limitation is the heterogeneity in study results. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest a potential link between PCa and a higher risk of ED.

The relationship between sleep disorders, quality, and duration and sexual dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The associations between sexual dysfunction (SD) and sleep disorders, sleep quality, and sleep duration remain unclear. AIM: To assess the relationship between sleep and SD through a literature review and meta-analysis. METHODS: The PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched from inception to November 10, 2022. OUTCOMES: Pooled relative risks and 95% CIs were used to examine the association of sleep disorders with SD in longitudinal studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were used to examine the associations between SD and sleep disorders, sleep quality, and sleep duration in cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: Forty-three articles, including 11 longitudinal studies and 32 cross-sectional studies, were included in the quantitative analysis. The pooled relative risk of SD in patients with sleep disorders was 1.97 in longitudinal studies (95% CI, 1.46-2.67, P < .001; heterogeneity: I2 = 95.0%, P < .001), while the pooled OR of SD in patients with sleep disorders was 2.05 in cross-sectional studies (95% CI, 1.76-2.39, P < .001; heterogeneity: I2 = 91.4%, P < .001). When compared with controls, subjects with poor sleep quality had a 1.49-fold increased risk of SD (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.31-1.71, P < .001; heterogeneity: I2 = 73.4%, P < .001). In addition, short sleep duration was associated with the risk of SD (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.06-1.22, P < .001; heterogeneity: I2 = 0.0%, P = .849). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The risk of SD is significantly increased in patients with sleep disorders and poor sleep quality, indicating that clinicians should monitor sleep among patients with SD. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This study is the most comprehensive meta-analysis of the association between sleep and SD to date. However, different sleep disorders may have varying associations with sleep duration and sleep quality; thus, we could not identify the independent effects across the studies. CONCLUSION: Our systematic review and meta-analysis results suggest that sleep disorders, especially obstructive sleep apnea, increase the risk of SD in men and women. Poor sleep quality is significantly associated with SD. Short sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of SD.

The association between sexual dysfunction and prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Whether there is a connection between sexual dysfunction (SD) and prostate cancer (PCa) is controversial. AIM: We sought to review the interrelationship between SD and PCa and to determine whether there is a definitive risk of men developing PCa after suffering from SD. METHODS: A complete search of the PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed to search for eligible studies published up to October 2022. The protocol for this meta-analysis is available from PROSPERO (ID: CRD42022342381). OUTCOMES: The associations between SD and the risk of PCa were assessed by calculating pooled ORs with 95% CIs, and the standard mean difference (SMD) and its 95% CI were used to assess the relationship between SD and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels or prostate volume (PV). Random-effects models were used to account for potential heterogeneity, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. RESULTS: Twenty studies involving 215,626 individuals were included in our meta-analysis. Compared with controls, subjects with SD had a 1.62-fold increased risk of PCa (OR = 1.62, 95% CI, 1.77-2.23, P = .003; heterogeneity: I2 = 97.8%, P < .001). Patients with SD had higher PSA levels than controls (SMD =0.07, 95% CI, 0.00 to 0.13, P = .041; heterogeneity: I2 = 55.6%, P = .027). However, there was no association between SD and PV (SMD = 0.03, 95% CI, -0.05 to 0.11, P = .122; heterogeneity: I2 = 48.5%, P = .100). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Current evidence confirms a potential link between SD and the risk of PCa and that SD in PCa patients should be of concern to clinicians. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: The strength of this study is that it is to our knowledge the first meta-analysis of studies on the risk of PCa in men with SD. A limitation is that most of the studies included in this meta-analysis focused on ED. CONCLUSION: Our systematic review and meta-analysis results suggest that men with SD have a higher risk of PCa and higher PSA levels than men without SD. However, this is merely inferential, and causality cannot be determined based on the current data. Further longitudinal studies should be performed to validate our preliminary findings.