Erectile dysfunction with or without coexisting benign prostatic hyperplasia in the general US population: analysis of US National Health and Wellness Survey

Abstract

Objective:

Erectile dysfunction (ED) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) commonly affect older men. There is limited epidemiology information on coexisting ED and BPH. This study assessed self-reported prevalence of ED with or without a diagnosis of BPH (ED/DxBPH versus ED only) in US men.

Methods:

Men ≥40 years old, who reported experiencing ED in the past 6 months with or without a diagnosis of BPH, were identified from the nationally representative 2011 US National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) – a cross-sectional, self-administered online survey. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare characteristics between ED-only and ED/DxBPH populations.

Results:

The prevalence of ED only and ED/DxBPH was 24.6% and 4.9% (mean ages of 60 and 68 years, respectively). About two-thirds of those with ED only and ED/DxBPH reported speaking to their physician about ED. About 23% of either group reported currently using ED medication and 11.7% of men with ED only were prescribed ED medication by a urologist, compared to 31.1% with ED/DxBPH. Approximately 51.7% of men with ED/DxBPH were taking BPH medication. Overall, 37.3% of men with ED only and 74.6% with ED/DxBPH reported moderate-to-severe urinary symptoms on the American Urological Association–Symptom Index (AUA-SI ≥8).

Conclusion:

While self-reported ED is common, few men with ED in the US population report being diagnosed with BPH. The majority of ED only and ED/DxBPH men reported speaking to a physician about ED; however, few reported currently taking ED medication. A majority of men with ED/DxBPH reported an AUA-SI score ≥8, but only half reported taking BPH medications. Thus, although men are experiencing erectile or urinary symptoms, many remain untreated. A limitation of this study is that symptoms and diagnosis were self-reported and may not reflect how these conditions are diagnosed in a healthcare setting; however, patient self-report provides a unique perspective on the burden associated with these conditions.

Keywords::

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia
• Erectile dysfunction
• Lower urinary tract symptoms
• Prevalence

Transparency

Declaration of funding

This study was funded by Eli Lilly and Company.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

S.A.F., E.S. and L.V. are all employees and stockholders of Eli Lilly and Company. K.A. and D.F. are employees of Kantar Health which received funding from Eli Lilly and Company to conduct the analysis.

CMRO peer reviewers may have received honoraria for their review work. The peer reviewers on this manuscript have disclosed that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Teri Tucker BA of inVentiv Health Clinical for her editorial contributions to this manuscript and Rebecca McCracken MSPH, also of inVentiv Health Clinical, for her writing contributions to this manuscript.