AUTHOR=Wang Zheng , Wang Yunyun , Xiong Jiachao , Gan Xinxin , Bao Yewei , Jiang Aimin , Zhou Ye , Huangfu Zhao , Yang Yiren , Liu Zhiyong , Xia Demeng , Wang Linhui TITLE=Causal effects of hypertension on risk of erectile dysfunction: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine VOLUME=10 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1121340 DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2023.1121340 ISSN=2297-055X ABSTRACT=Background

Erection dysfunction has been associated with hypertension in several epidemiological and observational studies. But the causal association between hypertension and erectile dysfunction requires further investigation.

Methods

A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was conducted to analyze the causal effect of hypertension on risk of erection dysfunction. Large-scale publicly available genome-wide association study data were used to estimate the putative causality between hypertension and risk of erectile dysfunction. A total of 67 independent single nucleotide polymorphisms were selected as instrumental variables. Inverse-variant weighted, maximum likelihood, weighted median, penalized weighted median, and MR-PRESSO approaches were utilized in MR analyses. Heterogeneity test, horizontal pleiotropy test, and leave-one-out method were used to prove the stability of the results.

Results

In total, all P values were less than 0.05, demonstrating a positive causal link between hypertension and risk of erectile dysfunction in multiple MR methods, such as inverse-variant weighted (random and fixed effect) (OR 3.8315, 95% CI 2.3004–6.3817, P = 0.0085), maximum likelihood (OR 3.8877, 95% CI 2.3224–6.5081, P = 0.0085), weighted median (OR 4.9720, 95% CI 2.3645–10.4550, P = 0.0309), penalized weighted median (OR 4.9760, 95% CI 2.3201–10.6721, P = 0.0355), and MR-PRESSO (OR 3.6185, 95% CI 2.2387–5.8488, P = 0.0092). Sensitivity analysis detected no evidence of heterogeneity, pleiotropy, or outlier single nucleotide polymorphisms.

Conclusion

The study revealed a positive causal link between the presence of hypertension and the risk of erectile dysfunction. More attention should be paid during the management of hypertension with the purpose of preventing erectile dysfunction or improving erectile function.