Relationship between masked arterial hypertension and erectile dysfunction

Background Erectile dysfunction (ED) has a marked negative effect on quality of life. The association between sustained hypertension (HT) and ED has been clearly shown. However, there is no study evaluating masked HT and ED. We aimed to assess the prevalence of masked HT and the related factors in patients with ED. Methods A total of 64 consecutive males with ED (mean age: 50.4 ± 9.8 years) were enrolled in the study. The Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) questionnaire was used to evaluate the erectile status of the patients. Office and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) of all patients were measured. Results We detected masked HT in 24 of 64 patients with ED (37.5%). The SHIM score was slightly lower in masked HT group compared to true normotensives, but the difference was not statistically significant (10.8 ± 5.2 vs. 11.4 ± 4.6; p=0.65). There was no significant correlation between all-day systolic and diastolic BP with SHIM scores (R=0.076, p=0.55; R=0.079; p=0.53). When the patients with masked HT were classified according to the nocturnal BP reduction, the SHIM scores of patients with the nondipping pattern were lower than the dippers (9.8 ± 5.3 vs. 12.0 ± 5.1; p=0.001). Conclusions The prevalence of masked HT is high in patients with ED. Patients with masked HT and nondipping nocturnal BP pattern have more profound ED. The coexistence of masked HT and ED is thought to be a marker of increased cardiovascular risk.