Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Is the metabolic syndrome a risk factor for female sexual dysfunction in sexually active women?

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 20, pages 100–104 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Despite of the high prevalence, pathogenesis of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is still poorly understood. A consecutive series of sexually active women underwent a health investigation and completed a questionnaire on FSD. Metabolic syndrome (MS) was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation definition. A total of 538 women with a mean age of 44 years (range: 30–69) was analysed. The premenopausal group comprised 329 women (61.2%) with a mean age of 38.5 years; the postmenopausal cohort contained 209 women (38.8%) with a mean age of 52.7 years. In the total cohort (n=538) MS was present in 17.6%, 8.5% in the premenopausal group and 32.6% in the postmenopausal women. In premenopausal women, the MS was an independent risk factor for impaired sexual desire (P=0.03) with an age-adjusted odds ratio of 3.3 (95% confidence interval: 1.5–7.3). In premenopausal female sexual life, the MS represents an independent role via its correlation to impaired desire.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen RC . Sexual dysfunction in the United States—prevalence and predictors. JAMA 1999; 281: 537–544.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Anastasiadis AG, Davis AR, Ghafar MA, Burchardt M, Shabsigh R . The epidemiology and definition of female sexual disorders. World J Urol 2002; 20: 74–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Dunn KM, Kelvin J, Croft PR, Assendelft WJJ . Systematic review of sexual problems: epidemiology and methodology. J Sex Marital Ther 2002; 28: 399–422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ponholzer A, Roehlich M, Racz U, Temml C, Madersbacher S . Female sexual dysfunction in a healthy Austrian cohort: prevalence and risk factors. Eur Urol 2005; 47: 366–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Castelo-Branco C, Blumel JF, Araya H, Riquelme R, Castro G, Haya J et al. Prevalence of sexual dysfunction in a cohort of middle-aged women: influences of menopause and hormone replacement therapy. J Obstet Gynaecol 2003; 23: 426–430.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Abdo CHN, Oliveira WM, Moreira Jr ED, Fittipaldi JAS . Prevalence of sexual dysfunctions and correlated conditions in a sample of Brazilian women—results of the Brazilian study on sexual behavior (BSSB). Int J Impot Res 2004; 16: 160–166.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kadri N, Mchichi Alami KH, Mchakra Tahiri S . Women sexual dysfunction: a population-based epidemiological study. Arch Women Mental Health 2002; 5: 59–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Salonia A, Munarriz RM, Naspro R, Nappi RE, Briganti A, Chionna R et al. Women's sexual dysfunction: a pathophysiological review. BJU Int 2004; 93: 1156–1164.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Imbimbo C, Gentile V, Palmieri A, Longo N, Fusco F, Granata AM et al. Female sexual dysfunction: an update on physiopathology. J Endocrinol Invest 2003; 26(3 Suppl.): 102–104.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Esposito K, Ciotola M, Marfella R, Tommaso DD, Cobellis L, Giugliano D . The metabolic syndrome: a cause of sexual dysfunction in women. Int J Impot Res 2005; 17: 224–226.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. DeFronzo RA, Ferrannini E . Insulin resistance. A multifaceted syndrome responsible for NIDDM, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Diabetes Care 1991; 14: 173–177.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Basson R, Berman J, Burnett A, Derogatis L, Ferguson D, Fourcroy J et al. Report of the international consensus development conference on female sexual dysfunction: definitions and classifications. J Urol 2000; 163: 888–893.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Eckel RH, Grundy SM, Zimmet PZ . The metabolic syndrome. Lancet 2005; 365: 1415–1422.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Salonia A, Zanni G, Nappi RE, Briganti A, Deho F, Fabbri F et al. Sexual dysfunction is common in women with lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence: results of a cross-sectional study. Eur Urol 2004; 45: 642–648.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Geiss IM, Umek WH, Dungl A, Sam C, Riss P, Hanzal E . Prevalence of female sexual dysfunction in gynaecologic and urogynecologic patients according to the international consensus classification. Urology 2003; 62: 514–518.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Ford ES, Giles WH, Dietz WH . Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among US adults: findings from the third national health and nutrition examination survey. JAMA 2002; 287: 356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Rosen R, Brown C, Heiman J, Leiblum S, Meston C, Shabsigh R et al. The female sexual function index (FSFI): a multidimensional self-report instrument for the assessment of female sexual function. J Sex Marital Ther 2000; 26: 191–208.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Esposito K, Giugliano D . Obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and sexual dysfunction. Int J Impot Res 2005; 17: 391–398.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Esposito K, Ciotola M, Marfella R, Di Tommaso D, Cobellis L, Giugliano D . Sexual dysfunction in women with the metabolic syndrome. Diabetes Care 2005; 28: 756.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology and Andrology, Danubehospital, Vienna, Austria

    A Ponholzer, M Rauchenwald, M Marszalek & S Madersbacher

  2. Department of Preventive Health, City of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    C Temml

Authors
  1. A Ponholzer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C Temml
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M Rauchenwald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M Marszalek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S Madersbacher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S Madersbacher.

Additional information

Disclosure

All authors declare that they have no financial interest and there has not been any funding.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ponholzer, A., Temml, C., Rauchenwald, M. et al. Is the metabolic syndrome a risk factor for female sexual dysfunction in sexually active women?. Int J Impot Res 20, 100–104 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901605

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901605

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links