PREVALENCE OF SLEEP-APNEA IN MEN WITH ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Sleep studies were performed on 1,025 patients complaining of erectile dysfunction. In addition to standard measures of sleep stage and nocturnal penile tumescence, respiratory activity was evaluated. The number of episodes of sleep apnea per hour (Apnea Index-AI) was calculated for each patient. The overall prevalence of sleep apnea activity in this sample was: 43.8 percent with AI ≥ 5; 27.9 percent with AI ≥ 10; and 19.6 percent with AI ≥ 15. These results confirm that sleep apnea activity is common in men with erectile dysfunction. This high prevalence also indicates that further study is needed to elucidate pathophysiology of erectile failure in men with sleep apnea. © 1990.