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