Continuous positive airway pressure therapy in obstructive sleep apnoea patients with erectile dysfunction—A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Erectile dysfunction (ED) with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a relatively common issue for men. A number of clinical studies have demonstrated that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy may effectively alleviate ED symptoms from patients with OSA.

METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were utilised and searched for the relevant studies up to September 2, 2019. The International Index of Erectile Function 5 (IIEF-5) scoring system from the patients before and after receiving their CPAP therapy were collected according to the strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. REVMEN 5.3 software was applied for the meta-analysis.

RESULTS: A total of seven publications consisted of 206 ED patients with OSA were included in the study. ED patients with OSA received CPAP treatment were significantly improved based on the IIEF-5 scores [Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) = 1.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.89-1.38, z = 9.09, p < 0.0001].Our research found that the high heterogeneity is mainly due to Zhang's data, with a higher apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI) compared to the other included studies. A moderate heterogeneity (I 2 = 54%, P = 0.05) was found after removal of Zhang's data.

CONCLUSION: The results suggest that continuous positive airway pressure therapy relive erectile dysfunction symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. However, further evidence is needed due to the insufficient number of included patients and high heterogeneity.