Objective: To evaluate reproductive hormonal profile among three groups with varying sexual performance satisfaction (erectile dysfunction) with or without type-2 diabetes (T2DM).
Study design: Comparative cross-sectional analysis.
Place and duration of study: Department of Pathology, PNS Hafeez Hospital, Islamabad, from January to December, 2018.
Methodology: One hundred and twenty-one subjects including T2DM and age-matched controls were segregated into three groups based upon their sexual performance satisfaction. These groups were evaluated by one-way ANOVA for various anthropometric, glycemic indices and reproductive hormones and free androgen indices (FAI). A general linear model (GLM) was utilised using HbA1c and FAI as dependent variable with sexual performance satisfaction as fixed and quantitative CRP and urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) as random variables to evaluate diabetes complication and inflammation on sexual performance.
Results: Comparison between three groups suggested a rising trend for FAI as: FAI: {Non-satisfied (n=43):41.78 (95%CI:36.67-46.90)}, {Just satisfied (n=38):48.81(95%CI: 42.96-54.66)}, {Satisfied (n=40):51.86 (95%CI:45.27-58.44)}, [p=0.041]. GLM model evaluation suggestion that for any particular degree of reported ED, HbA1c demonstrated a higher trend from non-satisfied subjects to satisfied subjects with inflammation following a rise with HbA1c levels, identifying inflammation as more related with worsening diabetes than with sexual performance satisfaction. FAI levels were higher among subjects who showed no erectile dysfunction than subjects with less satisfied groups with both inflammation (qCRP) and nephropathy (UACR) causing across the group decline for FAI among all ED groups.
Conclusion: Sexual performance satisfaction and FAI decline with rise in HbA1c. Moreover, subjects having nephropathy or higher inflammation (qCRP) were found to have lower FAI and ED, both in controls and T2DM.