Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Health-Related Quality of Life in a UK-Based Population of Men with Erectile Dysfunction

  • Original Research Article
  • Published:
PharmacoEconomics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective: To measure health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) among a sample of men with erectile dysfunction (ED) in the UK.

Study population and methods: A structured questionnaire was mailed to a sample of 5000 men in the UK with ED. The questionnaire included the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) scale to determine ED severity and the EuroQoL (EQ-5D) questionnaire, a generic HR-QOL instrument. Descriptive information relating to personal relationships and sociodemographics as well as details of comorbidities were also requested.

Results: 23% of the sample (n = 1141) returned a completed questionnaire. Of the respondents, 82.2% (n = 939) met the criteria for ED based on the IIEF-5 scale. The mean age of the respondents was 60.4 ± 24.9 years. There was a gradual convergence of respondents’ HR-QOL scores to that of the normal male population as their age increased. The HR-QOL of respondents was significantly poorer than that of the normal population for those under 65 years of age, whereas it was significantly better for those between the ages of 65 and 74 years. Comorbid illness had a significant impact on the HR-QOL of respondents over 44 years of age. Furthermore, the HR-QOL of respondents with multiple risk factors for ED was significantly lower than that of respondents without any risk factors (p < 0.001). The respondents’ HR-QOL was significantly poorer compared with the normal male population when stratified by marital status. It was also significantly poorer when stratified by whether the respondents were manual or non-manual workers.

Conclusion: HR-QOL among men with ED is poorer in those with comorbid illnesses and improves with age.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Table I
Table II
Table III
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  2. Krane RJ, Goldstein I, Saenz de Tejada I. Impotence. N Engl J Med 1989; 321: 1648–59

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. World Health Organization. F52.2 Failure of Genital Response. In: The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders: diagnostic criteria for research. Geneva: WHO, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  4. Feldman H, Goldstein I, Hartzichristou DG, et al. Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Ageing Study. J Urol 1994; 151: 54–61

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hedlund H, Hedlund P. Pharmacotherapy in erectile dysfunction: agents for self-injection programs and alternative application methods. Scand J Urol Nephrol 1996; 179 Suppl.: 129–38

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Melman A, Gingell JC. The epidemiology and pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction. J Urol 1999; 161 (1): 5–11

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Segraves RT, Schoenberg HW, Zarins CK. Psychosexual adjustment after penile prosthesis surgery. Sex Disabil 1982; 5: 222–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Plumb JM, Guest JF. Annual cost of erectile dysfunction to UK society. Pharmacoeconomics 1999; 16 (6): 699–709

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Impotence Association. Factsheet: Key findings of the Impotence Association Patient and Partner Erectile Dysfunction Survey, 1997

    Google Scholar 

  10. Jønler M, Moon T, Brannan W, et al. The effect of age, ethnicity and geographical location on impotence and quality of life. Br J Urol 1995; 75: 651–5

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Litwin MS, Nied RJ, Dhanani N. Health-related quality of life in men with erectile dysfunction. J Gen Intern Med 1998; 13: 159–66

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kind P. The EuroQol instrument: an index of health-related quality of life. In: Quality of life and pharmacoeconomics in clinical trials. Spilker B, editor. Philadelphia (PA): Lippincott-Raven, 1996

    Google Scholar 

  13. Rosen RC, Riley A, Wagner G, et al. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF): a multidimensional scale for assessment of erectile dysfunction. Urology 1997; 49 (6): 822–30

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Brazier J, Jones N, Kind P. Testing the validity of the EuroQoL and comparing it with the SF-36 health survey questionnaire. Qual Life Res 1993; 2: 169–80

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Van Agt H, Essink-Bot M-L, Krabbe P, et al. Test-retest reliability of health state valuations collected with the EuroQoL questionnaire. Soc Sci Med 1994; 39: 1537–44

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Essink-Bot M-L, Krabbe P, Bonsel G, et al. An empirical comparison of four generic health status measures: the Nottingham health profile, the medical outcomes study 36-item short-form health survey, the COOP/WONCA charts, and the EuroQoL instrument. Med Care 1997; 35: 522–37

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kind P, Dolan P, Gudex C, et al. Variations in population health status: results from a United Kingdom national questionnaire survey. BMJ 1998; 316: 736–41

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kind P, Hardmann G, Macran S. UK population norms for EQ-5D. Discussion paper 172, 1999 Nov. York: University of York.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Mulligan T, Moss CR. Sexuality and aging in male veterans: a cross-sectional study of interest, ability, and activity. J Arch Sex Behav 1991; 20: 17–25

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Williams SJ, Bury MR. Impairment, disability and handicap in chronic respiratory illness. Soc Sci Med 1989; 29: 609–16

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lukkarinen H. Quality of life in coronary artery disease. Nurs Res 1998; 47 (6): 337–43

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Westin L, Carlsson R, Israelsson B, et al. Quality of life in patients with ischaemic heart disease: a prospective controlled study. J Intern Med 1997; 242: 239–47

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Glasgow RE, Ruggiero L, Eakin EG, et al. Quality of life and associated characteristics in a large national sample of adults with diabetes. Diabetes Care 1997; 20 (4): 562–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kohen D, Burgess AP, Catalán J, et al. The role of anxiety and depression in quality of life and symptom reporting in people with diabetes mellitus. Qual Life Res 1998; 7: 197–204

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Holmes TH, Rahe RH. Social adjustment rating scale. J Psychosom Res 1967; 11: 213–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Gheorghiu S, Godschalk MF, Gentili A, et al. Quality of life in patients using self-administered intracavernous injections of prostagladin E1 for erectile dysfunction. J Urol 1996; 156: 80–1

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Willke RJ, Glick HA, McCarron TJ, et al. Quality of life effects of alprostadil therapy for erectile dysfunction. J Urol 1997; 157: 2124–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Kaiser FE, Weldon K, Gesundheit N, MUSE Study Group. Treatment of erectile dysfunction with transurethral alprostadil: effects on quality of life [abstract]. J Am Geriatr Soc 1997; 45: A33

    Google Scholar 

  29. Quirk F, Guiliano F, Pena B, et al. Effect of sildenafil (Viagra) on quality of life parameters in men with broad-spectrum erectile dysfunction [abstract]. J Urol 1998; 159 Suppl.: 998

    Google Scholar 

  30. Erectile dysfunction. Quantitative Phase. Tables UK. Psyma International Medical Marketing Research GmbH. Sep 1993

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Schwarz Pharma for their financial support of this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CATALYST Health Economics Consultants, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 1BN, England

    Julian F. Guest & Roben Das Gupta

Authors
  1. Julian F. Guest
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Roben Das Gupta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julian F. Guest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Guest, J.F., Das Gupta, R. Health-Related Quality of Life in a UK-Based Population of Men with Erectile Dysfunction. Pharmacoeconomics 20, 109–117 (2002). https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-200220020-00004

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-200220020-00004

Keywords

Search

Navigation