Erectile Dysfunction

Is Obesity an Underlying Factor in Erectile Dysfunction?
Woo Sik Chung, Jung Hwan Sohn, Young Yo Park

Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Ewha Woman's University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Address of Corresponding Author

Eur Urol 1999;36:68-70 (DOI: 10.1159/000019929)

  Key Words

• Obesity
• Penile erection
• Vascular risk factors
• Doppler ultrasound

  Abstract

Objectives: We conducted a study to evaluate the impact of obesity on erectile function in men with erectile dysfunction. Methods: Three hundred and twenty-five consecutive patients with erectile dysfunction were evaluated. We classified the men into 2 groups according to body weight: <120% of the ideal body weight, and 120%. We compared several erectile capacities and the findings of penile duplex ultrasonography. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease in the quality of residual erectile function in patients with obesity (penile rigidity grade 1.32 versus 1.62 in the nonobese patients). Obese patients also have an increased prevalence of vascular risk factors based on a review of the medical records and vascular impairment by duplex ultrasound study (43 and 62% in the obese patients versus 30 and 42% in the nonobese patients, respectively, p < 0.05). However, when we focused only on the patients without any vascular risk factors, no significant difference between the 2 groups was noted in the quality of residual erectile function and also the prevalence of penile vascular impairments (p > 0.05). Conclusions: These data demonstrate that obesity in itself does not seem to be an underlying factor, but does impose a risk to vasculogenic impotence by developing chronic vascular disease.

  Author Contacts

Woo Sik Chung, MD
Ewha Woman's University Mok Dong Hospital
911-1 Mok-Dong Yangcheon-Ku
Seoul 158-057 (Korea)
Tel. +82 2 650 5015/5157, Fax +82 2 654 3682, E-Mail woochung@unitel.co.kr

  Article Information

Received: Accepted after revision: December 15, 1998
Number of Print Pages : 3
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 11