A Meta-Analysis of Erectile Dysfunction and Alcohol Consumption.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Meta-analysis of observational/cohort studies
PubMed 34521090 · doi:10.1159/000508171
What was done
PubMed was searched up to June 2019 to examine the association between alcohol consumption and risk of erectile dysfunction (ED). Data from 46 studies comprising 216,461 participants were pooled using random-effects models to calculate combined odds ratios (ORs), stratified analyses, meta-regressions, and dose-response curves.
What was found
Regular alcohol consumption was associated with lower odds of ED (OR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81–0.97). Stratified analyses showed a pooled OR of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.72–0.94) for light to moderate consumption and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.67–1.00) for high consumption. Dose-response meta-analysis demonstrated a nonlinear, J-shaped relationship (p for nonlinearity < 0.001). Egger's test indicated no publication bias (p = 0.37).
Why it matters
This review characterizes the dose-dependent association between alcohol and erectile dysfunction, demonstrating a nonlinear relationship where moderate consumption is linked with reduced risk.
Limits
The included studies are observational, which precludes establishing causality and leaves open the possibility of unmeasured confounding (e.g., lifestyle, socioeconomic factors). Only PubMed was searched, risking omission of relevant literature.
Cited by
- partial Alcohol consumption (both light-to-moderate and high) is associated with a lower risk of erectile dysfunction in men.