Clin Mol Hepatol.  2015 Dec;21(4):352-357. 10.3350/cmh.2015.21.4.352.

Erectile dysfunction in patients with liver disease related to chronic hepatitis B

• Kim M
• Kim SY
• Rou WS
• Hwang SW
• Lee BS

• KMID: 2359816
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3350/cmh.2015.21.4.352

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Despite sexual function making an important contribution to the quality of life, data on erectile function are relatively scant in patients with chronic liver disease. We evaluated the prevalence of and risk factors for erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with liver disease related to hepatitis B, especially among those with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) or early-stage cirrhosis.
METHODS
In total, 69 patients (35 with CHB and 34 with hepatitis-B-related liver cirrhosis [HBV-LC]) aged 40-59 years were analyzed. Child-Pugh classes of A and B were present in 30 (88.2%) and 4 (11.8%) of the patients with HBV-LC, respectively. The erectile function of the patients was evaluated using the Korean version of IIEF-5.
RESULTS
The prevalence of any ED was 24.6% for all patients, and 8.6% and 41.2% for those with CHB and HBV-LC, respectively (P=0.002). While there was only one (2.9%) CHB patient for each stage of ED, mild, moderate, and severe ED stages were seen in three (8.8%), one (2.9%), and ten (29.4%) of the HBV-LC patients, respectively. Multiple regression analysis identified the type of liver disease (P=0.010), hypertension (P=0.022), score on the Beck Depression Inventory (P =0.044), and the serum albumin level (P=0.014) as significant independent factors for the presence of ED.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of ED was significantly higher in patients with early-stage HBV-LC than in those with CHB. Therefore, screening male patients with early viral cirrhosis for ED and providing appropriate support are needed, especially when the cirrhosis is accompanied by hypertension, depression, or a depressed level of serum albumin.

Keyword

Liver disease; Chronic hepatitis B; Liver cirrhosis; Erectile dysfunction

MeSH Terms

Adult
Erectile Dysfunction/*diagnosis/epidemiology/*etiology
Hepatitis B, Chronic/*complications/*diagnosis
Humans
Hypertension/complications
Liver Cirrhosis/*complications/diagnosis/*etiology
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Odds Ratio
Prevalence
Quality of Life
Risk Factors
Serum Albumin/analysis
Severity of Illness Index
Serum Albumin