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Association between the atherogenic index of plasma and erectile dysfunction in US men: a population-based cross-sectional study

International Journal of Impotence Research (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and involves risk factors such as atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction. Since the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) may be potentially valuable in predicting cardiovascular risk, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between AIP and ED using large-scale data, as well as exploring its potential implications for clinical and future research. We screened the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database using R software, selected datasets from two study cycles for cross-sectional analysis, enrolled covariates and performed statistical analyses using multivariate logistic regression. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses were performed and the relationship between the AIP index and ED was further assessed using generalized additive model regression and smoothed curve fitting. After an initial filter of 21,161 participants, 1503 participants were included, and the AIP level in the ED group was 0.21 ± 0.02 compared with 0.08 ± 0.01 in the group without ED, which was analyzed to show a statistically significant difference between them (P < 0.0001), and the difference was further confirmed in the sensitivity analyses. We suggest that early assessment, intervention, and individualized treatment of ED in people with high AIP levels is warranted, as it not only improves sexual function but also reduces the risk of CVD. However, it was a limitation of this study that the study population was all from the US, and more research is needed in the future to elucidate the causal relationship between AIP and ED and the association in a wider population.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2: Density dose-response relationship between AIP and ED prevalence.
Fig. 3: Sensitivity density dose-response relationship between AIP and prevalence of severe ED.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the participants and staff of NHANES. The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 82071637).

Funding

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 82071637).

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Guodong Liu, Yuyang Zhang, Xu Wu, Wei Zhang.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China

    Guodong Liu, Yuyang Zhang, Xu Wu & Xiansheng Zhang

  2. Institute of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China

    Guodong Liu, Yuyang Zhang, Xu Wu & Xiansheng Zhang

  3. Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Urological and Andrological Diseases Research and Medical Transformation, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China

    Guodong Liu, Yuyang Zhang, Xu Wu & Xiansheng Zhang

  4. Department of Urology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China

    Wei Zhang

  5. Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital Institute of Urology, Peking University Andrology Center, Beijing, China

    Hui Jiang

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Contributions

Guodong Liu: conception and design; Guodong Liu, Yuyang Zhang, and Xu Wu: draft and revise the content of the article; Guodong Liu, Yuyang Zhang, Xu Wu, and Wei Zhang: Acquisition of data; Guodong Liu, Yuyang Zhang, and Xu Wu: analysis and interpretation of data; Hui Jiang and Xiansheng Zhang: review and editing; Xiansheng Zhang: final approval of the completed article.

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Correspondence to Hui Jiang or Xiansheng Zhang.

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The patient data comes from a public database and all methods were performed following relevant guidelines and regulations. Before inclusion in the NHANES database, each participant provided written informed consent, which was reviewed and approved by the National Center for Health Statistics Ethics Review Committee.

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Liu, G., Zhang, Y., Wu, X. et al. Association between the atherogenic index of plasma and erectile dysfunction in US men: a population-based cross-sectional study. Int J Impot Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-024-00972-w

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