Evaluation of psychogenic erectile dysfunction and fibromyalgia syndrome with risk factors

Abstract

Background: Fibromiyalgia syndrome (FMS) leads to disability and functional limitations in daily life, along with depression and anxiety. While sexual dysfunction has been reported in female patients with fibromyalgia (FM), there are limited studies on erectile dysfunction (ED) in male patients with FM. Our aim was to investigate the frequency of FMS in patients with psychogenic ED. Methods: In this single-center, cross-sectional, controlled study, 23 young men diagnosed with psychogenic erectile dysfunction (pED) and 24 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy controls were assessed multidimensionally. Participants were screened for pain prevalence (WPI), symptom severity (SSS), fibromyalgia impact (rFIQ), mood (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)), sleep quality (PSQI) and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) using eight Turkish validity-reliability validated scales; organic erectile dysfunction was excluded by penile Doppler ultrasound and hormonal panel. Results: The prevalence of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) was approximately five times higher in the pED group than in the control group, and WPI, SSS, and rFIQ values were significantly higher. Multiple linear regression explained 69% of the variance in the IIEF score, with depression, SSS, and sleep disturbance being the strongest negative predictors; waist circumference made an additional but weaker contribution. Conclusions: We demonstrated that FM could be a risk factor for the occurrence of ED. It has also been shown that sleep problems, depression and anxiety are observed more frequently in ED patients.