Age-Related Changes in General and Sexual Health in Middle-Aged and Older Men: Results from the European Male Ageing Study (EMAS)

Abstract

Introduction Limited information is available concerning the general and sexual health status of European men. Aim To investigate the age-related changes in general and sexual health in middle-aged and older men from different countries of the European Union. Methods This is a cross-sectional multicenter survey performed on a sample of 3,369 community-dwelling men aged 40–79 years old (mean 60 ± 11 years). Subjects were randomly selected from eight European centers including centers from nontransitional (Florence [Italy], Leuven [Belgium], Malmö[Sweden], Manchester [United Kingdom], Santiago de Compostela [Spain]) and transitional countries (Lodz [Poland], Szeged [Hungary], Tartu [Estonia]). Main Outcome Measures Different parameters were evaluated including the Beck’s Depression Inventory for the quantification of depressive symptoms, the Short Form-36 Health Survey for the assessment of the quality of life (QoL), the International Prostate Symptom Score for the evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms, and the European Male Ageing Study sexual function questionnaire for the study of sexual function. Results More than 50% of subjects reported the presence of one or more common morbidities. Overall, hypertension (29%), obesity (24%), and heart diseases (16%) were the most prevalent conditions. Around 30% of men reported erectile dysfunction (ED) and 6% reported severe orgasmic impairment, both of which were closely associated with age and concomitant morbidities. Only 38% of men reporting ED were concerned about it. Furthermore, concern about ED increased with age, peaking in the 50–59 years age band, but decreased thereafter. Men in transitional countries reported a higher prevalence of morbidities and impairment of sexual function as well as a lower QoL. Conclusion Sexual health declined while concomitant morbidities increased in European men as a function of age. The burden of general and sexual health is higher in transitional countries, emphasizing the need to develop more effective strategies to promote healthy aging for men in these countries.

Sintomas de disfunção sexual em homens com 40 ou mais anos de idade: prevalência e fatores associados

“…The present study observed that older men have a higher risk of having sexual symptoms of aging than younger ones, a result corroborated by other studies [19][20][21][22] . Qiu et al 22 reported that more than 50% of the men studied aged more than 70 years had already interrupted their sexual activities for at least two years, when compared to those aged between 60 and 64 years, due to severe erectile dysfunction problems.…”

Sexual Health and Well-being Among Older Men and Women in England: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

“…The negative effects of arthritis on sexual health seen here are likely to be multifactorial (disease-related and associated with therapy) and open communication with patients with arthritis about any sexual health problems should be encouraged. Consistent with earlier research (Bacon et al, 2003;Corona et al, 2010;Mak, De Backer, Kornitzer, & De Meyer, 2002;McKinlay, 2000;Sanchez-Cruz et al, 2003), we found erectile difficulties were associated with self-reported chronic illnesses, including hypertension, CVD and diabetes, as well as poor or fair self-rated health. Although we are unable to distinguish whether these associations are due to psychosocial and comorbid factors commonly found with chronic illnesses and their treatments that may also contribute to erectile problems, it supports the growing body of evidence that erectile dysfunction may serve as an early warning of more serious disease processes sharing a common neurovascular pathology (Nehra et al, 2012;Thompson et al, 2005).…”

Body weight loss reverts obesity-associated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Accordingly, a recent large population-based study involving more than 3400 subjects from eight European centers (EMAS study) showed that about half of subjects were overweight or obese with an even higher prevalence in Eastern transitional countries (2). Excess body weight is a crucial risk factor for mortality and morbidity not only for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) but also for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cancer, and musculoskeletal disorders; these complications cause nearly 3 million deaths every year worldwide (3,4,5,6,7,8).…”