Erectile Dysfunction: Clinical and Epidemiological Aspects in Senegal

Abstract

Introduction: The objective of our study was to analyze the clinical and epidemiologic aspects of erectile dysfunction in subjects with different comorbidities in Senegal. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective study over a period of 2 years on patients who presented themselves for consultation for erectile dysfunction. The study was carried out in the regions of Dakar and Thies at the Ouakam geriatric center and the Saint Jean of god Hospital of Thies respectively. Results: We enrolled into the study 402 patients with erectile dysfunction. The average age of our patients was 47 ± 5 years. Patients aged more than 60 years were the most. The majority of our patients had less than secondary school level education, 211 in total representing 52.5% of the study population compared to 14.9% having post baccalaureate level. A large number of these patients had professional activities (53.3%), followed by retirees (29.6%). Polygamous patients were more in number (51.5%). In our study sample, we registered 120 active smokers (29.9%). A hundred and ten of our patients were sedentary for periods of 5 months to 22 years. The average length of time before seeking help for erectile dysfunction in our patients was 2.8 years. Severe erectile dysfunction was predominant in the smoking group (54.2%) compared to (9.9%) in the non-smoking group. We found a large proportion of severe and moderate erectile dysfunction (66.3%) and (31.7%) respectively in diabetic than non-diabetic patients. Severe erectile dysfunction was more in hypertensive and diabetics. Severe erectile dysfunction was more present in hypertensive plus smokers (83.9%) than in non-smoking hypertensive patients (68.6%). Severe ED was found more in hypertension and diabetic subjects. Conclusion: Erectile dysfunction is most frequently related on one side to socio-environmental factors, and to co-existing comorbidities on the other side.