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Review
. 2023 Jan 6:10:1092353.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1092353. eCollection 2022.

Chronic liver diseases and erectile dysfunction

Guanghui Zang  1 , Xv Sun  2 , Yufeng Sun  1 , Yan Zhao  3 , Yang Dong  1 , Kun Pang  1 , Ping Cheng  2 , Meng Wang  3 , Yuli Zheng  3
Affiliations
Review

Chronic liver diseases and erectile dysfunction

Guanghui Zang et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Chronic liver diseases (CLDs) are characterized by progressive necrosis of hepatocytes, which leads to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and ultimately liver dysfunction. The statistics of 2020 shows that the number of patients with CLDs, including chronic hepatitis, fatty liver, and cirrhosis, may exceed 447 million in China. The liver is a crucial organ for the metabolism of various substances, including sex hormones and lipids. CLDs frequently result in abnormalities in the metabolism of sex hormones, glucose, and lipids, as well as mental and psychological illnesses, all of which are significant risk factors for erectile dysfunction (ED). It has been reported that the prevalence of ED in male patients with CLDs ranges from 24.6 to 85.0%. According to a survey of Caucasians, liver transplantation may improve the erectile function of CLDs patients with ED. This finding supports the link between CLDs and ED. In addition, ED is often a precursor to a variety of chronic diseases. Given this correlation and the significant prevalence of CLDs, it is important to evaluate the epidemiology, risk factors, etiology, and treatment outcomes of ED in male patients with CLDs, expecting to attract widespread attention.

Keywords: chronic hepatitis; chronic liver disease; erectile dysfunction; risk factors; testosterone.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mechanism by which IR leads to atherosclerosis and ED. IR can lead to vascular system demage and corpora cavernosa smooth muscle dysfunction through various mechanisms such as interference with signaling pathways, and ultimately lead to functional or organic ED.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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