Sexual dysfunction is a common complication in type 1 diabetes patients

Reviewed by Kate Anderton, B.Sc. (Editor)Nov 20 2019

A recent study published in Muscle & Nerve explored the prevalence of male sexual dysfunction in type 1 diabetes. Written by Ana Calzada-Reyes of Havana, Cuba, the study investigated the "prevalence of sexual dysfunction in a sample of males with type 1 diabetes."

Sexual dysfunction is a common complication of diabetes that adversely affects patients' quality of life. Somatic and autonomic neuropathy are common complications of diabetes mellitus."

Ana Calzada-Reyes of Havana

The abstract for this study was published in the 2019 American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) Abstract Guide, which was presented at the 2019 AANEM Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas this October.

Nervous structures of the pelvic floor were investigated in 62 type 1 diabetes patients, specifically the bulbocavernosus reflex and somatosensory evoked potentials of the pudendal nerve were investigated, which participate in sexual function.

Calzada-Reyes reported that 71 percent of patients had abnormalities and 21 percent had clinical manifestations. Needle EMG showed abnormality in 92 percent of patients.

"Sexual dysfunction is a common complication in diabetic patients. The combination of anamnesis and an ad hoc neurophysiological protocol showed its high prevalence and provided a more accurate prognosis," she wrote in her conclusion.