association of E-Cigarettes With Erectile Dysfunction: The Population assessment of Tobacco and health Study.

Introduction: This article presents the findings of a study examining the association between electronic nicotine delivery devices (ENDS) use and erectile dysfunction (ED) in male adults in the U.S. The study uses cross-sectional data from the Population assessment of Tobacco and health (PaTh) study and employs multivariate logistic regression models to quantify the association.

Key Points:

* The study found that current daily ENDS users were more likely to report having ED than never ENDS users in both the full and restricted samples.
* CVD history and age >65 years were also associated with ED in the full sample.
* Physical activity was associated with lower odds of ED in both samples.
* The study controlled for various confounding factors, such as age, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, annual household income, U.S. region, cigarette smoking, other tobacco product use, BMI, physical activity frequency, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and mental health status.
* The study also conducted sensitivity analyses to account for the impact of CVD and older age on the association of ED with ENDS use.
* The association between ED was characterized with both cigarettes and ENDS current use patterns by CVD diagnosis and older age.
* The study findings suggest that ENDS use may be associated with ED, independent of age, risk factor profile, and the presence of CVD.

Main Message: The study highlights a novel finding that ENDS use could have serious implications on men's sexual health. While ENDS use is still being evaluated for its harm reduction and smoking-cessation potential, ENDS users need to be informed about the possible harms associated with ENDS use, particularly ENDS current daily use, including ED. The study emphasizes the importance of clinicians collecting information concerning ENDS use when assessing and counseling patients with ED and informing public health messages and tobacco regulation policies.

El-Shahawy O, Shah T, Obisesan Oh, et al. association of E-Cigarettes With Erectile Dysfunction: The Population assessment of Tobacco and health Study. american journal of preventive medicine. 2022;62(1):26-38. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2021.08.004