Erectile Dysfunction in Diabetic Patients: From Etiology to Management

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a widespread chronic disease with a prevalence that is expected to further increase in the near future. The classical management of DM includes the normalization of the glycometabolic profile and the evaluation of cardiac and cerebral vascular health by the intervention of an array of different specialists. However, so far, sexual dysfunctions are still a neglected complication in patients with DM, although there is an elevated prevalence of this long-term complication in male and female patients. Furthermore, some of them may represent a sign of vascular alteration and/or hypogonadism and require timely management to prevent the onset of major adverse cardiac events. This narrative review briefly summarizes the current evidence on epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy of erectile dysfunction in male patients with DM to support diabetologists in clinical practice.