Association Of BMI And MTHFR With Erectile Dysfunction In Men From Andrology Clinic

Part 1.Association of BMI with Erectile Dysfunction in Men from Andrology ClinicObjective:Abnormal body mass index(BMI)is associated with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction(ED).However,the relationship between different BMI categories and the levels of ED severity remains unclear.Methods:In the current study,878 men from the andrology clinic in Central China were recruited.Erectile function was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function(IIEF)scores.Questionnaires included questions about demographic characteristics(age,height,weight,educational status),lifestyle habits(drinking,smoking,sleep time),and medical history.Logistic regression was used to examine the association between ED risk and BMI.Results:The incidence of ED was 53.1%.BMI was significantly higher in men from the ED group than in those from the non-ED group(P=0.01).Compared with the normal weight group,obese men had a higher risk of ED(OR=1.97,95%CI=1.25-3.14,P=0.004),even after adjustment for potential confounders(OR=1.78,95%CI=1.10-2.90,P=0.02).Moreover,the positive correlation between obesity and moderate/severe ED severity was confirmed by logistic regression analysis(moderate/severe ED,OR=2.71,95%CI=1.44-5.04,P=0.002),even after adjusting for potential confounders(OR=2.51,95%CI=1.24-5.09,P=0.01).Conclusion:Collectively,our findings indicate a positive correlation between obesity and the risk of moderate/severe ED.Clinicians could pay more attention to moderate/severe ED patients to maintain a healthy body weight to improve erectile function.Part 2.Association between MTHFR and Erectile Dysfunction in Men from Andrology ClinicObjective:Genetic risk factors have been shown to contribute to the development of sexual dysfunction.However,the role of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR)gene variant in the risk of erectile dysfunction(ED)remains unclear.Methods:In this study,we recruited 1254 participants who underwent ED assessment by the International Index of Erectile Function scores.The MTHFR c.677C>T variant was also measured by fluorescence polymerase chain reaction(PCR).Results:No significant difference in the genotypic frequencies of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism(CC,CT,and TT)was observed between men from the ED and non-ED groups.In addition,both crude and adjusted models through binary logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of ED was not significantly associated with the C677T polymorphism.Interestingly,a significantly higher frequency of the 677TT polymorphism was found in severe and moderate ED(P=0.02).The positive correlation between the MTHFR 677TT polymorphism and severe ED was confirmed by logistic regression analysis,even after adjusting for potential confounders(OR=2.46,95%CI 1.15-5.50,P=0.02).Conclusion:These findings suggest a positive correlation between the MTHFR 677TT polymorphism and the risk of severe ED.Identification of MTHFR gene polymorphisms may provide complementary information for ED patients during routine clinical diagnosis.