The impact of metabolic syndrome on retinal findings in patients with erectile dysfunction

Objective: In the present study, we investigated the association between metabolic syndrome (MS) and retinal findings in patients presenting with erectile dysfunction (ED) complaints.

Material and methods: A total of 102 patients with ED were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel - III consensus definition: patients with MS (Group 1, n=62) and patients without MS (group 2, n=40). The severity of ED was determined according to the first five versions of the International Index of Erectile Function. A detailed fundus examination was performed to evaluate the patients for retinopathy. The patients’ retinopathy grades were classified according to the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 51.4 years. Twenty-two patients (35.5%) in Group 1 and nine (22.5%) in group 2 had severe ED (p=0.241). Ten (16.1%) patients in group 1 and one (2.5%) patient in group 2 had any degree of retinopathy (p=0.047). The logistic regression analysis of the correlation between severe ED and MS risk factors revealed that a fasting glucose level (FBG) of >110 mg/dL increased the risk of severe ED by 2.5 times (95% CI 1-6.2, p=0.058). Additionally, the logistic regression analysis of metabolic risk factors showed that only the FBS level was strongly associated with retinopathy, with the relative risk increased to 10.6 (95% CI 1.2-93, p=0.033).

Conclusion: Our results showed that elevated FBG levels were the most critical MS component in the development of severe ED and retinopathy.