Screening for erectile dysfunction and associated cardiovascular risk factors in Israeli men

Background: Erectile dysfunction is associated with treatable cardiovascular risk factors; therefore, screening for erectile dysfunction and its cardiovascular risk factors is of clinical importance. Objectives: To detect erectile dysfunction cases and assess their severity among military personnel. Methods: The Sexual Health Inventory for Men questionnaire was handed out to military personnel aged 25-55 years during routine examinations. Results: A total of 19,131 men with a mean age of 34.0 ± 7.1 years participated in routine physical examinations during the years 2001-2005. More than half of them (n=9956, 52%) completed the SHIM questionnaire. No significant differences were found between those who completed the SHIM questionnaire and those who did not, in terms of mean age, mean body mass index, and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. One out of every four men (25.2%) suffered from erectile dysfunction, which was mild in 18.9%, mild to moderate in 4.4%, moderate in 1.1% , and severe in 0.7%. Even though treatable cardiovascular risk factors were quite prevalent in the study group (45.2% of them suffered from dyslipidemia, 25.6% smoked, 4.2% suffered from essential hypertension, and 1.6% from diabetes mellitus), erectile dysfunction was significantly associated with age and diabetes mellitus alone (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of erectile dysfunction and associated treatable cardiovascular risk factors in Israeli men aged 25-55, especially those with diabetes.