Erectile dysfunction common among men with anxiety

Men with anxiety disorder commonly suffer from concomitant erectile dysfunction, according to a recent systematic review.

“Literature suggests that men with anxiety disorders may exhibit risk factors for ED, but it is hard to say whether anxiety disorder alone is a risk factor for ED,” the researchers said. “The evidence is limited because of the high heterogeneity between the study populations of the papers. More research is required to help improve patient care in this population.”

Twelve studies were retrieved from the online repositories of PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO, as well as grey literature registries. Only those that used validated tools to diagnose ED and included men with anxiety disorders as diagnosed by certified psychiatrists were eligible for inclusion.

The cumulative sample included 713,746 participants, of whom 113,850 were diagnosed with anxiety disorders. The most common anxiety disorders were post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; n=111,091) and panic disorder (n=2,594).

Pooled analysis of 10 studies revealed that the median prevalence of ED in men with anxiety disorders was 20.0 percent. Of note, there was wide variance in prevalence estimates, with rates ranging from 0.0 percent to 85.0 percent.

In the subgroup of men with PTSD, ED was likewise common, with a median prevalence of 46.2 percent. Variance in estimates was also great, such that rates ranged from 3.0 percent to 85.0 percent.

Quality analysis found that while none of the included studies were at critical risk of bias, 33.3 percent showed serious risk, and 41.7 percent had moderate risks. Only 25 percent of included studies were at low risk of bias.