Abstract

THE ROLE OF FOLIC ACID DEFICIENCY AS A POSSIBLE RISK FACTOR FOR ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Mohammed Murad Abdullah Alzubaidi*, Hamed Abdalla Hamed, Hussam El-Din Hosni Ahmed and Reem Jan Farid

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Erectile Dysfunction(ED) is a common condition with a significant effect on quality of life. The prevalence of ED increases with age and other risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking, coronary heart disease, obesity, dyslipidemia and depression). Objective: To assess folic acid deficiency as a new possible risk factor for erectile dysfunction. Patients and Methods: Our study was carried out on sixty participants that include (50) married males complaining of ED .Other risk factors for ED were excluded e.g. (diabetes mellitus, Hypertension, Coronary artery disease, Neurological disease, Major psychiatric disorder and smoking). Selected participants divided into two groups, group 1 (patients with ED which are 50 cases) and group 2 (control group with no ED which are 10 potent males). All patients were subjected to personal history, sexual history, past history of medical disorders or operations, evaluation of erectile function using an abridged IIEF-5, general and genital examination. .Measurements of fasting lipid profile, blood sugar, TT, prolactin, PSA were conducted and serum folic acid level were assessed. Results: There was a high statistically significant difference between patients and controls regarding serum folic acid level with p value < 0.001 being lower in patients than controls with a cut-off value <3.6 ug/l. So in this study (70%) of Patients with ED were with serum folic acid level< 2.6 ug/l, normal range (2.6-12.2 ug/l), and (30%) of patients were with serum folic acid level >2.6 ug/l but < 3.6 ug/l. Also, our results showed a statistically significant negative correlation between serum folic acid and age with a p value =0.031 and a statistically significant positive correlation between serum folic acid and IIEF-5 score with a p value = 0.041. Conclusion: Folic acid play important role of male sexual health as with increase age more endothelial dysfunction and more erectile dysfunction and folic acid being one of the strong contributor for this endothelial dysfunction. As FA deficiency lead to Decrease expression and activation of (eNOS and NO) and hyperhomocysteinemia that induce endothelial dysfunction. So FA supplementation may provide potential therapeutic advantages for men with sexual dysfunction.

Keywords: Erectile dysfunction, International index of erectile function-5, Serum folic acid.