Is the relationship between cigarette smoking and male erectile dysfunction independent of cardiovascular disease?
INTRODUCTION: Cigarette smoking has been implicated in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and as a risk factor for erectile dysfunction (ED). However, various aspects of the associations between cigarette smoking, ED, and CVD need further elucidation. AIM: We explored the relationship between cigarette smoking, ED, and CVD using data from a population-based cross-sectional study of 1,580 participants. METHODS: Postal questionnaires were sent to randomly selected age-stratified male population samples obtained from the Western Australia Electoral Roll. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In addition to items covering sociodemographic and self-reported clinical information and smoking habits, the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function was used to assess erectile function. RESULTS: Compared with never smokers, the odds of ED, adjusted for age, square of age, and CVD, were significantly higher among current smokers (odds ratio [OR] = 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02, 1.
