Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is the most important public health issue threatening the health of men and women all over the world. Its current prevalence (i.e., approximately 30%) is continuously increasing. MetS by itself is considered a risk factor for erectile dysfunction (ED).
Aim: To focus on the definition epidemiology, pathogenesis, and possible mechanistic links between MetS and ED in order to provide guidelines for treating such individuals.
Methods: The search strategies yielded total records screened from PubMed.
Main outcome measures: Regardless of the definition, MetS consists of insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity. MetS is not an end disease but is a disorder of energy utilization and storage.
Results: The prevalence of ED in patients with MetS is almost twice than in those without MetS, and about 40% of patients with ED have MetS. An important mechanism linking MetS and ED is hypogonadism.
Conclusions: Recognizing through ED, underlying conditions such as hypogonadism, diabetes and MetS might be a useful motivation for men to improve their health-related choices. The clinical management of MetS can be done by therapeutic interventions that include lifestyle modifications, hormone replacement alone or in combination with phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors, and other pharmacological treatments.
Keywords: Erectile Dysfunction; Hypogonadism; Inflammation; Insulin Resistance; Metabolic Syndrome; Obesity.
© 2015 International Society for Sexual Medicine.