ATLANTA, GA USA (PRESS RELEASE) - May 21, 2012 -
First population-based review shows patients with severe gum infection are at higher risk for impotence
People diagnosed with periodontitis (severe infection of the gums), particularly those less than 30 years of age and older than 70 years, are at higher risk for developing erectile dysfunction (ED), according to a new study at the 107th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA). The study was presented today during a poster session at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA.
The association between ED and cardiovascular vascular disease (CVD) has been reported in previous literature. Several studies also suggest chronic gum diseases are associated with CVD, however, studies investigating the association between ED and periodontitis have been lacking.
Researchers from the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan and the Herng-Ching Lin School of Health Care Administration, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan examined the connection between periodontitis and ED through a nationwide, population-based retrospective case-control study. Researchers identified 32,856 patients with ED as the study group and randomly selected 162,480 patients as the comparison group, tracking each person for five years to determine the association of ED and periodontitis. Of the sampled patients, 24,294 (12.3%) had a periodontitis diagnosis before the index date (8,825 individuals or 26.9% of the ED group and 15,469 individuals or 9.4% of the comparison cohort).
Analyses show that a significantly higher proportion of periodontitis was found among ED patients as compared with the comparison group (3.53, 95% CI = 3.43-3.64, p<0.001). After adjusting for a patient’s lifestyle, income, geographic location and pre-existing medical conditions, patients with ED were still more likely to have periodontitis (3.27, 95% CI = 3.18-3.37, p<0.001). In addition, the association between periodontitis and ED in populations aged less than 30 years (4.49, 95% CI = 3.78-5.34) and more than 70 years (4.81, 95% CI = 4.33-5.34) was much stronger.
“Understanding all aspects of how and why a health condition occurs is vital to prevention and treatment goals,” said Tobias Kohler, MD, a member of the AUA Public Media Committee. “This new study demonstrates how seemingly unrelated conditions can in fact be connected, underscoring the need for further research and education.”
About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 18,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.
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American Urological Association
