Is there a relationship between chronic periodontitis and erectile dysfunction?

Introduction: Chronic periodontitis (CP) is characterized with inflammation of the gingival tissues, which causes endothelial dysfunction in different organs.

Aim: In this study, we investigated the association of CP with the erectile dysfunction (ED).

Methods: The study group included 80 male patients with ED and 82 male patients without ED (control), aged between 30 and 40 years. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire was used to assess male sexual function, particularly the presence or absence of ED.

Main Outcome Measures: The patients in the study and control groups were statistically compared according to their plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BoP), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL).

Results: In the non-ED and the ED groups, the mean age was 35.7 ± 4.8 and 34.9 ± 4.9 years, respectively. Patients' characteristics including body mass index, household income, and education status were similar in both groups (P > 0.05). Nineteen patients (23%) had severe CP in the non-ED group; 42 patients (53%) had severe CP in the ED group. Logistic regression analysis showed a significantly high association between ED and the severity of CP (odds ratio: 3.29, 95% confidence interval: 1.36-9.55, P < 0.01). The mean values of PI, BoP, and the percentages of sites with PD >4 mm and sites with CAL >4 mm were significantly higher in the ED group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The mean values of PD and CAL were not significantly different in the two groups (P > 0.05). The decayed, missing, filled teeth scores were also significantly higher in the ED group than in the non-ED group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:   Our results have suggested that CP had a high association with ED in young adults at 30-40 years. We think that it will be of benefit to consider periodontal disease as a causative clinical condition of ED in such patients.