Sexual Function/Dysfunction/Andrology: Medical and Non-Surgical Therapy IIPodium 431500 EXERCISE CORRELATES TO HIGHER SEXUAL FUNCTION SCORES IN A COHORT OF HEALTHY MEN
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INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES
Exercise has often been postulated to improve sexual function. Several studies have seen improvement in sexual function scores in the setting of weight loss secondary to diet and exercise. We hypothesized men with higher exercise level would have higher sexual function scores.
METHODS
We prospectively recruited 178 healthy men at the Durham VA who completed the RAND 12-Item Health Survey v2, which includes 6 sexual function questions: ability to have erection, ability to reach orgasm, quality of erection, frequency of erection, overall sexual function and bother. These answers were converted to a numeric score on a 0 to 100 scale, and averaged into an overall sexual function score with higher scores equating higher function. They were also asked to complete a survey
RESULTS
Median age and BMI were 62 years and 31 kg/m2, respectively. A total of 59 men (33%) were black and 111 (62%) were white. Median sexual function was 53 points. After adjusting for age, race, BMI, heart disease, diabetes, medications, and depression, men who reported more MET hrs/wk of exercise had significantly higher sexual function scores (p = 0.006).
CONCLUSIONS
Men who reported higher MET hrs/wk of exercise had higher sexual function scores. Further investigation is required to confirm these findings in a larger sample size and to better characterize the molecular mechanisms through which exercise affects sexual function.
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Source of Funding: Department of Defense
Department of Veterans Affairs
NIH SPORE Award
AUAF Astellas Rising Star in Urology Award