RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MS) has emerged as a new health risk, and its associated metabolic derangements have detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system. In recent years, MS has been reported to affect reproductive health in males. It has been reported to be associated with erectile dysfunction (ED) and has been attributed to be due to endothelial dysfunction. Poor endothelial function in ED usually affects small-sized vasculature, so it can be looked at as a predictor for the endothelial dysfunction of macro vasculature. The aim of the present study was to determine the association of ED in patients with MS and to determine its correlation with endothelial dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a hospital-based case-control study in which 120 male patients with MS and 120 age-matched controls were enroled. Demographic profiles, anthropometry, past illnesses, and medical history of patients were obtained. MS was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria and was measured using the flow-mediated dilation (FMD) method with the help of ultrasound used to assess endothelial dysfunction. Diagnosis of ED was based on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scale. RESULTS: The study participants had a mean age of 40.91 ± 11.41 years. The majority of cases (57.5%) had ≤6 months of history of MS. The prevalence of ED was 31.7% in cases compared to 5% in controls, thus showing a significant difference between cases and controls. Mean IIEF scores were significantly lower in cases (18.82 ± 5.59) compared to those in controls (23.00 ± 2.57). A moderate positive and significant correlation was observed between FMD and IIEF scores. With an increasing number of MS components, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of ED. Those with ED had significantly lower mean FMD values (5.1 ± 1.1%) compared to those not having ED (10.9 ± 3.3%). CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study showed that there is a significant association between ED and MS. We observed that the increase in components of MS increased the prevalence of ED in MS. Endothelial dysfunction measured by FMD was correlated with ED.