Erectile Dysfunction Linked to Previous Psoriasis Diagnosis
Erectile Dysfunction Linked to Previous Psoriasis Diagnosis
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with a previous diagnosis of psoriasis, according to a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine (2012;9:130-135).
Shiu-Dong Chung, MD, of the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, and colleagues conducted a case-control study to evaluate the association between ED and a previous diagnosis of psoriasis in 4,606 subjects with ED and 13,818 control subjects.
The investigators found that the prevalence of a previous diagnosis of psoriasis was 1.7% in the ED group compared with 0.4% in the control group. Even after adjusting for a variety of potential confounding factors, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, obesity, drug and alcohol abuse, and socioeconomic factors, patients with ED were 3.85 times more likely to have been diagnosed with psoriasis than those in the control group.
"This study revealed an association between ED and prior psoriasis even after adjusting for potential confounding factors. The results of this study highlight a need for clinicians dealing with psoriasis patients to be alert to the possible development of ED," the authors wrote.
