Erectile dysfunction (ED) and chronic periodontitis (CP) share common risk factors, and an association may exist between the two conditions, according to a new study in the Journal of Periodontology (April 5, 2011).
Researchers from the department of periodontics at the Government Dental College and Research Institute in Bangalor, India, studied 70 male subjects with a mean age of 35.3 ± 3.64 years who were clinically diagnosed with erectile dysfunction.
The subjects were given the Sexual Health Inventory for Men questionnaire and underwent penile color Doppler ultrasound. Researchers recorded periodontal parameters such as probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level.
Prevalence for chronic periodontitis among all erectile dysfunction subjects was highest among those with severe ED, and while association of CP and ED was found to be correlated positively, it showed no statistical significance.
"It can be hypothesized that an association exists between vasculogenic ED in young men and CP," the authors concluded. "However, a large-scale study with confounder analysis and a longitudinal follow-up is warranted."
