Erectile Dysfunction in Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Effects of CPAP Therapy

Erectile Dysfunction in Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea : Effects of CPAP Therapy

Obstructive sleep apnea has been linked to erectile dysfunction. Furthermore, small studies suggest that treatment of sleep apnea by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may reverse erectile dysfunction in affected patients. The present study aims to investigate in a larger cohort if severe sleep apnea is independently associated with erectile dysfunction and if 6-12 months of CPAP therapy lead to an improvement of erectile dysfunction.

Inclusion Criteria:

• apnea-hypopnea-index > 30/h
• no CPAP therapy
• male gender
• 18-80 years of age
• having or attempting to have regular sexual intercourse

Exclusion Criteria:

• apnea-hypopnea-index < 30/h
• already treated by CPAP
• female gender
• age < 18 or > 80 years
• not having or not attempting to have regular sexual intercourse