February 2000, Volume 12, Issue 1, Pages 41 - 45

Paper

Erectile dysfunction in general medicine practice: prevalence and clinical correlates KK Chew1, CM Earle1, BGA Stuckey1, K Jamrozik2 & EJ Keogh1 1The Keogh Institute for Medical Research (formerly Reproductive Medicine Research Institute), QEII Medical Centre, Perth, Australia     2Department of Public Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia     Correspondence to: Dr BGA Stuckey, The Keogh Institute for Medical Research, QE II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Perth, Australia 6009.

Keywords

erectile dysfunction;   prevalence;   hypertension;   ischaemic heart disease;   peripheral vascular disease;   diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common problem in general medical practice affecting especially the elderly and those with cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. A study was undertaken by questionnaire distributed to consecutive adult male attendees at 62 general medical practices. 1240 completed questionnaires were available for analysis. The mean age of participants was 56.4 y (range 18 - 91 y). 488 men (39.4%) reported ED: 119 (9.6%) ‘occasionally’, 110 (8.9%) ‘often’, and 231 (18.6%) ‘all the time’ (complete ED). Among 707 men aged 40-69 y 240 (33.9%) reported ED and 84 (11.9%) had complete ED. The prevalence of complete ED increased with age, rising from 2.0% in the 40 - 49 y age group to 44.9% in the 70-79 y age group. Only 11.6% of men with ED had received treatment. Hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and diabetes mellitus were frequently associated with ED. 40% of diabetic men aged 60 y or older had ED all the time. International Journal of Impotence Research (2000) 12, 41-45.

Received 15 November 1998; Accepted 27 May 1999

^© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2000