Erectile dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea patients: A randomized trial on the effects of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)

Objectives Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is among the least studied risk factors for erectile dysfunction (ED). We aimed to determine ED prevalence in newly-diagnosed OSA patients, describe their main characteristics and assess continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) effects on ED. Methods Cross-sectional study assessing ED prevalence in OSA patients and open-label, parallel, prospective randomized controlled trial evaluating 3-month CPAP treatment effects on sexual function, satisfaction, and psychological, hormonal and biochemical profiles. Male patients newly diagnosed with moderate/severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index >20 events·h−1), aged 18–70 years, attending the sleep unit of a Spanish hospital during 2013–2016 were considered. A total of 150 patients were recruited (75 randomized ED patients). ED was defined as scores <25 on International Index Erectile Function 15 test. Wilcoxon’s matched-pairs signed-ranks and rank-sum tests were used. Results ED prevalence was 51%. Patients with ED were older (p<0.001), had greater waist-to-hip ratios (p<0.001), were more frequently undergoing pharmacological treatment (p