Coronary artery calcifications in hemodialysis patients and their correlation with the prevalence of erectile dysfunction

Introduction. Our aim in this study was to investigate the prevalence and correlation with coronary artery calcium scores (CACS) and erectile dysfunction (ED) among hemodialysis patients. Patients and methods. Thirty-five male patients with chronic renal failure were selected to participate in this study. All patients underwent examinations for CACS using 16-channel multidetector computed tomography. The presence and severity of ED were determined by calculating the erectile function domain of the self-administered International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). Results. The patients' ages ranged from 22 to 78 with a mean of 51.6 years. The mean duration of hemodialysis was 75.7 months (range = 12 to 232). Twenty-six patients had a history of one or more systemic diseases. The prevalence of any level of ED was 82.9% for all hemodialysis patients, and severe ED, 40%. The CACS was significantly higher among patients with severe ED (P =.032). The IIEF-5 score was also shown to have a moderate negative correlation with the CACS (r = -.420, P =.012). Age, duration of hemodialysis, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary heart diseases, hyperlipidemia, thyroid disease, depression, tobacco consumption, and medication were not associated with the presence of ED (P >.05). Conclusion. ED is prevalent in hemodialysis patients. Although many possible factors contribute to ED, the severity of ED increases with greater CACS.