A new study may have good news for men with obstructive sleep apnea. Continuous positive airway pressure therapy, or CPAP, can not only help this breathing disorder; it can help alleviate erectile dysfunction (ED) and improve sexual satisfaction, too.
American researchers from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland presented their findings at the 26th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies held in Boston in June.
The study followed 92 non-diabetic men under age 60 who had recently been diagnosed with OSA and were just beginning CPAP therapy. Their mean age was 45.
At the start of the study, about 46% of the men had erectile dysfunction and 27% reported low libido.
The men were then assessed at one, three, and six months after starting CPAP therapy. Assessment tools included the International Index of Erectile Function, the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire, and “subjective measures of fatigue and sleepiness.”
The researchers found that sexual function and satisfaction improved for most men, regardless of whether they had erectile dysfunction or not. However, the greatest improvement was found among men with erectile dysfunction.
“We were surprised at how prevalent ED is in a relatively young population of men with sleep apnea. The average age was 45,” said Dr. Joseph W. Dombrowsky, the study’s lead researcher, in a press statement. “But we were similarly surprised at how robust a clinically significant response the men had with CPAP therapy.”
The reasons for this improvement is not yet known. “It’s unclear,” Dr. Dombrowsky told Medscape News Today. “Nothing has been nailed down yet, but we can postulate that improving oxygenation at night or sleeping better improves your energy and libido.”
The authors noted that ED may improve, but not completely resolve.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a repeated start-stop pattern of breathing during sleep. It happens when a person’s airway is blocked by collapsed tissue at the back of the throat. OSA interferes with sleep and is also associated with heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
A CPAP machine keeps the airway open by pushing air to the back of the throat, preventing the tissue from collapsing. This helps restore normal breathing.
Resources
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
“Men using CPAP see improvement in sexual function, satisfaction”
(Press release. June 13, 2012)
http://www.aasmnet.org/articles.aspx?id=3107
Medscape
Brooks, Megan
“CPAP Improves Sexual Function in Men With Sleep Apnea”
(June 18, 2012)
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/765931
Psychology Today
Breus, Michael J., PhD
“CPAP is Good for Sex”
(July 25, 2012)
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleep-newzzz/201207/cpap-is-good-sex
Sleep
“The Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction and Impact of CPAP Therapy: A Prospective Analysis”
(Abstract #0574. Included in Abstract Supplement for the 26th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC, Boston, MA, June 2012)
http://www.journalsleep.org/Resources/Documents/2012abstractsupplement.pdf