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Erectile dysfunction and its associations with type 2 diabetes, neuropathy, metabolic syndrome in men seeking specialty care for urinary urgency: a cross-sectional study

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationships between erectile dysfunction (ED) and diabetes and related complications, metabolic syndrome (MetS) components and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) in a cohort of men seeking care for urinary urgency and other LUTSs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN II) Urinary Urgency Phenotyping study, which aimed to characterise subgroups of persons with urinary urgency. SETTING: Six clinical sites of the NIH/NIDDK-sponsored Symptoms of LURN, US. PARTICIPANTS: 305 men enrolled in the LURN II Urinary Urgency Phenotyping study who provided complete baseline erectile function data. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Erectile function was assessed using the erectile function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). MetS components, diabetes-related complications and LUTS severity were compared between men with and without ED. RESULTS: Among 305 men with urinary urgency, 181 (59%) had ED. Men with ED were significantly older and more likely to have type 2 diabetes (25% vs 12%, p<0.01). Peripheral neuropathy (38% vs 25%, p=0.02) and autonomic neuropathy (57% vs 43%, p=0.02) were more common in men with ED. The majority of men without ED correspondingly did not report MetS components. Finally, men with ED reported more severe LUTS, including higher total LUTS scores and a greater burden of storage symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that diabetes as well as markers of metabolic dysfunction are important factors in ED in treatment-seeking men with urinary urgency and other LUTS. Studies evaluating the mechanisms contributing to these interactions are warranted for targeting effective prevention or treatment.
Source: BMJ Open
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-118422
Authors: Harini V Pennathur, Ting Lu, Jonathan B Wiseman, Giulia Ippolito Lane, James Quentin Clemens, Anne P Cameron, Hunter Wessells, John Eric Jelovsek, Brian Bieber, Ziya Kirkali, Henry Lai, Michael R Odom, Claire C Yang, Aruna Sarma
Institutions: Texas A&M University System, Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, University of Michigan, University of Washington, Duke University, Duke Medical Center, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,839
Funders: Northwestern University, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Washington, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Awards: University of Washington LURN II Research Site, University of Iowa LURN Research Site, G1407459761, G2084387148, G2372175608, G2801418238, G33670165, University of Michigan LURN Research Site, G3730033447, LURN II: Enhanced Characterization of Patients with LUTS Using Biopsychosocial Approaches, Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (NUCATS), G5438081026, G5689344653, G5709465739, Continuation of the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) Data Coordinating Center, G7097112096, G7350316437, G7707125228, G7758172473, Advancing the Measurement and Classification of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction, Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) Second Phase Study, G8204409728, G8319849274, Expansion of Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN), University of Michigan Kidney, Urology and Hematology Research Training Network
OpenAlex ID: W7203836866
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