Objective: This study aimed to investigate differences between patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction (ED) evaluated with Rigiscan and if there were a correlation to age, duration of diabetes, BMI, sex hormones, lipids and HbA1c.
Research design and methods: A retrospective study on patients with type 1 diabetes (n=15), type 2 diabetes (n=17) and a control group (n=31) that underwent Rigiscan examination for ED. Age, BMI, blood pressure, sex hormones, lipids and HbA1c were recorded and analyzed between groups.
Results: Diabetes duration and HbA1C did not correlate with Rigiscan outcome. Rigiscan measures did not differ between patients with type 1 diabetes and control subjects besides from fewer erectile episodes (p<0.01) and lower tumescence activity units in base (p<0.05). By contrast, patients with type 2 diabetes differed significantly with respect to RigiScan parameters both in comparison with the type 1 diabetic patients and the control group. BMI had a strong correlation to number of erectile episodes, duration of erection, duration of erection > 60 % and rigidity activated unit (RAU) in tip and base. Age and HDL-cholesterol had a significant correlation with number of erectile episodes during night (p <0.05).
Conclusion: Our results indicate that erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes differ between type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. Neither diabetes duration nor HbA1C correlated to grade of erectile dysfunction among patients with diabetes. Increased BMI might be an explanation to the increased rate of erectile dysfunction seen in patients with type 2 diabetes.