The Erectile Dysfunction among Congolese Hypertensive Patients

The authors conducted an analytical cross-sectional study over a period of 3 months among hypertensive patients, in order to determine the frequency of the erectile dysfunction (ED), and to identify the predictive factors. It included treated hypertensive patients, presenting an ED, defined as the incapacity to obtain or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual activity. On 265 hypertensive patients, 172 (65%) presented an ED. The average age was 58.2 ± 9.7 years. The associated cardiovascular risk factors were overweight/obesity in 99 cases (37.4%), sedentariness in 90 cases (34%), diabetes mellitus in 50 cases (19%), dyslipidemia in 12 cases (4.5%), and tobacco addiction in 6 cases (2.3%). Arterial hypertension (HTN), old of 6.7 ± 5.8 years, was treated by bitherapy in 129 cases (48.7%), and tritherapy in 102 cases (38.5%). The principal therapeutic classes used were ACE inhibitors/ARBs in 213 cases (81%), calcium antagonists in 205 cases (78%), thiazides in 137 cases (52.1%), and beta-blockers in 82 cases (31%). ED, severe in 124 cases (72%), and moderate in 48 cases (28%), consisted of a difficulty to maintain the erection in 78 cases (45.3%), to obtain the erection in 30 cases (17.4%), and the two partners in 64 cases (37.2%). In multivariate analysis, only the age, seniority of HTN, and the existence of diabetes mellitus were the predictive factors of ED. The early and effective assumption of responsibility of the AHT, as well as other cardiovascular risk factors whose diabetes, would make it possible to reduce the frequency of it, thus improving quality of life of the hypertensive patients.