Sexual dysfunction common complication of Type 1 Diabetes, study says

It is well known that Somatic and autonomic neuropathy are common complications of diabetes mellitus. According to a recent study Sexual dysfunction is a common complication of diabetes that adversely affects patients’ quality of life. The study published in Muscle & Nerve explored the prevalence of male sexual dysfunction in type 1 diabetes. Written by Ana Calzada-Reyes of Havana, Cuba, the study investigated the “prevalence of sexual dysfunction in a sample of males with type 1 diabetes.”

The abstract for this study was published in the 2019 American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) Abstract Guide, which was presented at the 2019 AANEM Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas this October.
The researchers conducted a study to investigate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in a sample of males with type 1 diabetes. Nervous structures of the pelvic floor were investigated in 62 patients of type 1 diabetes, specifically the bulbocavernosus reflex and somatosensory evoked potentials of the pudendal nerve were investigated, which participate in sexual function.

The bulbocavernosus reflex and somatosensory evoked potentials of the pudendal nerve were studied in patients with type 1 diabetes to explore nervous structures of the pelvic floor which participate in sexual function. Seventy-one per cent of patients had abnormalities and 21% had clinical manifestations, while 38% had electrophysiological abnormalities without clinical manifestation. Needle EMG showed patterns of abnormality in 92%, with synchronism and amplitude parameters the most affected. The highest incidence of abnormalities in pelvic floor studies was observed in patients with more than 5 years of evolution and metabolic decontrol of diabetes mellitus.

The researchers concluded that Sexual dysfunction is a common complication in diabetic patients. The combination of anamnesis and an ad hoc neurophysiological protocol showed its high prevalence and provided a more accurate prognosis.“Sexual dysfunction is a common complication of diabetes that adversely affects patients’ quality of life,” Calzada-Reyes wrote. “Somatic and autonomic neuropathy are common complications of diabetes mellitus.”

Calzada-Reyes reported that 71 per cent of patients had abnormalities and 21 per cent had clinical manifestations. Needle EMG showed abnormality in 92 per cent of patients.

“Sexual dysfunction is a common complication in diabetic patients. The combination of anamnesis and an ad hoc neurophysiological protocol showed its high prevalence and provided a more accurate prognosis,” she wrote in her conclusion.