TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in systolic heart failure patients in a developing country
T2 - Tbilisi, Georgia, Eastern Europe
AU - Hebert, Kathy Arcement
AU - Anand, Jatin
AU - Trahan, Pat
AU - Delgado, Maria
AU - Greene, Joseph
AU - Julian, Elyse
AU - Cuomo, Jason
AU - Gogichaishvili, Ilia
AU - Nozadze, Nino
AU - Dias, Andre
AU - Arcement, Lee
PY - 2010/12
Y1 - 2010/12
N2 - Introduction. In the past decade, there has been an increasing amount of published information regarding erectile dysfunction (ED) and heart failure (HF) in economically advanced, westernized populations. However, there is a paucity of data regarding ED and HF in developing countries. The country of Georgia is categorized as a lower-middle-income country (LMIC) with an emerging and developing economy.Aim. To examine the prevalence of ED in patients with HF from a developing and LMIC and assess the association with depression.Methods. We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study that included male patients 18 years of age or older with an ejection fraction ≤40% by echocardiogram in a heart failure disease management program in Tbilisi, Georgia. The Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) survey was used to categorize men according to degree of ED. Baseline clinical characteristics known to be associated with ED, such as New York Heart Association functional classification, were also documented.Main Outcome Measures. The SHIM survey and the nine-question Patient Health Questionnaire.Results. The prevalence of ED was found to be 61.7%. Patients with ED were generally older, had more peripheral vascular disease, and had greater levels of depression than those without ED.Conclusions. There is a high prevalence of ED in patients with HF living in Tbilisi, Georgia. In comparison to previously published data on HF populations, our Georgian population showed lesser degrees of ED. More research is needed to better explain the causality for lower prevalence of ED, but explanations may include lower degrees of diabetes and aspects of treatment such as beta-blocker medication. Health care providers in LMICs should screen all of their male HF patients for ED and provide appropriate therapy.
AB - Introduction. In the past decade, there has been an increasing amount of published information regarding erectile dysfunction (ED) and heart failure (HF) in economically advanced, westernized populations. However, there is a paucity of data regarding ED and HF in developing countries. The country of Georgia is categorized as a lower-middle-income country (LMIC) with an emerging and developing economy.Aim. To examine the prevalence of ED in patients with HF from a developing and LMIC and assess the association with depression.Methods. We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study that included male patients 18 years of age or older with an ejection fraction ≤40% by echocardiogram in a heart failure disease management program in Tbilisi, Georgia. The Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) survey was used to categorize men according to degree of ED. Baseline clinical characteristics known to be associated with ED, such as New York Heart Association functional classification, were also documented.Main Outcome Measures. The SHIM survey and the nine-question Patient Health Questionnaire.Results. The prevalence of ED was found to be 61.7%. Patients with ED were generally older, had more peripheral vascular disease, and had greater levels of depression than those without ED.Conclusions. There is a high prevalence of ED in patients with HF living in Tbilisi, Georgia. In comparison to previously published data on HF populations, our Georgian population showed lesser degrees of ED. More research is needed to better explain the causality for lower prevalence of ED, but explanations may include lower degrees of diabetes and aspects of treatment such as beta-blocker medication. Health care providers in LMICs should screen all of their male HF patients for ED and provide appropriate therapy.
KW - Cardiovascular Disease
KW - Depression
KW - Erectile Function
KW - Heart Failure
KW - Prevalence
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01954.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01954.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 20701678
AN - SCOPUS:78649850791
VL - 7
SP - 3991
EP - 3996
JO - Journal of Sexual Medicine
JF - Journal of Sexual Medicine
SN - 1743-6095
IS - 12
ER -