Effects of a low-energy diet on sexual function and lower urinary tract symptoms in obese men

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity Vol. 34; no. 9; pp. 1396 - 1403
• Main Authors: Khoo, J, Piantadosi, C, Worthley, S, Wittert, G.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-09-2010; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/1807/2021; 692/699/2743/137/773; 692/699/2743/393; 692/700/565/2072; Abdomen; abdominal fat; Adult; Androgens; Bariatric Surgery - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Cardiovascular disease; Complications and side effects; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - diet therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - physiopathology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - psychology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diet; Diet therapy; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Energy Intake - physiology; Epidemiology; Erectile dysfunction; Erectile Dysfunction - diet therapy; Erectile Dysfunction - etiology; Erectile Dysfunction - physiopathology; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Gastrointestinal surgery; Health aspects; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; hormone secretion; Hospitals; Humans; Insulin; Insulin resistance; Internal Medicine; Libido - physiology; low calorie diet; lower urinary tract diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Men; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; Obesity; Obesity, Abdominal - diet therapy; Obesity, Abdominal - physiopathology; Obesity, Abdominal - psychology; Obesity, Abdominal - surgery; original-article; Plasma; Prevention; Prostate; prostate gland; Public Health; Quality of Life - psychology; Risk factors; sexual behavior; Sexual disorders; sexual function; Testosterone; Testosterone - blood; Urinary system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; urinary tract diseases; Urinary tract. Prostate gland; Urogenital system; Urologic diseases; Urologic Diseases - diet therapy; Urologic Diseases - physiopathology; Urologic Diseases - psychology; Weight control; weight loss; China; Singapore; Australia; South Australia Australia; weight loss; sexual function; urinary tract symptoms; diabetes; male; Endocrinopathy; Human; Obesity; Urinary system disease; Nutrition; Diabetes mellitus; Nutrition disorder; Weight loss; Metabolic diseases; Male; Urinary tract disease; Urinary tract; Feeding; Low energy; Voiding dysfunction; Symptomatology; Urinary system; Diet; Adult; Lower urinary tract symptoms; Nutritional status; Sexual function
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2010.76

Objective: Abdominal obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus are associated with erectile and urinary dysfunction in men. The extent to which sexual function and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) are improved by weight loss remains unclear. Subjects: We compared the effects of 8 weeks of a low-calorie diet using meal replacements (Kicstart) on insulin sensitivity, plasma testosterone levels, erectile function (measured by the five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function, IIEF-5), sexual desire (measured by the Sexual Desire Inventory, SDI) and LUTS (measured by the International Prostate Symptom Score, IPSS), in abdominally obese (body mass index >or= 30 kg m−2, waist circumference (WC) >or= 102 cm) men (mean age 49.7 years) with uncomplicated diet or oral hypoglycemic-treated type 2 diabetes mellitus (n=19) or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (n=25), with a control group of nondiabetic men (n=26) with similar body mass index and WC. Results: Weight loss of ~10% was significantly associated with increased insulin sensitivity, plasma testosterone levels, IIEF-5 and SDI scores, as well as reduced WC and IPSS scores, in diabetic as well as nondiabetic men. The degree of weight loss was significantly associated with improvements in plasma testosterone levels (r=−0.34), erectile function (r=−0.26) and LUTS (r=0.65). Reduction in LUTS was significantly associated with increased plasma testosterone (r=−0.35), erectile function (r=−0.42) and sexual desire (r=−0.40). Conclusions: Diet-induced weight loss significantly and rapidly improves sexual function, and reduces LUTS, in obese middle-aged men with or without diabetes.