Men with erectile dysfunction (ED) saw improvements in their self-esteem after three months of treatment with phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, French researchers report.
In addition, the better self-esteem sparked improvements in sexual quality of life for many of their partners.
The study, published online in May in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, examined the impact of first treatment with PDE5 inhibitors on patients and their partners. It also investigated how general practitioners (GPs) handled ED in a primary care practice.
The participants were 478 men with ED between the ages of 19 and 80 (mean age 57) who were in stable relationships. They had not been treated, or were only sporadically treated, for ED in the last six months. Their partners were also included. The men were prescribed PDE5 inhibitors at the discretion of their GP. Both participants and partners completed questionnaires at the beginning of the study and again at its completion approximately three months later.
Researchers used the Erection Hardness Score (EHS) to assess the degree of erectile dysfunction. EHS rates erections on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 indicating the most rigid erections.
The Self-Esteem and Relationship (SEAR) questionnaire was also used. This tool uses a scale of 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better self-esteem.
At baseline, only 0.4% of the men had an EHS score of 4. However, by the end of the study, this rate had increased to 58.3%.
The majority of the men (75%) saw their EHS scores increase one or two points. However, scores jumped 3 points for 13% of the men. Twelve percent of the men had no improvement in their erections.
Better erections correlated with better self-esteem and confidence. At baseline, the mean SEAR scores for the men was under 50. However, by the end of the study, these scores had increased to at least 75.
Sexual quality of life for partners was measured with the Index of Sexual Life. Researchers found that this score was correlated with patients’ self-esteem scores and increased erection hardness. In other words, the more success the patients had with treatment, the better the quality of sexual life for their partners.
Partner involvement was an important part of treatment success. When partners joined the men at GP consultations, men tended to be more compliant with their treatment.
The study also looked the role of general practitioners (GPs). Two hundred twenty-nine GPs participated. Ninety-eight percent of them were male. Their mean age was 53 and the majority of them had been practicing for over fifteen years.
All of the GPs attended a training before the study began. At that time, they completed a questionnaire on their management of ED. When the study concluded, 59% of the GPs filled out another questionnaire to reflect on their experience. Eighty-three percent said that the study had “changed their practice for the therapeutic management of patients with ED.”
For the researchers, this large percentage underscored the importance of training GPs about erectile dysfunction.
Resources
The Journal of Sexual Medicine
Costa, Pierre, MD, et al.
“Impact of a First Treatment with Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors on Men and Partners’ Quality of Sexual Life: Results of a Prospective Study in Primary Care”
(Full-text. First published online: May 16, 2013)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsm.12186/abstract