Drug availability impacts public 'taboo' on erectile dysfunction: the Krimpen Study
Wednesday, 16 June 2010- In the general population, erectile dysfunction (ED) is surrounded by a "taboo." Epidemiologists studying this problem have to be aware of the phenomenon of the "tip-of-the-iceberg."
A group of Dutch researchers conducted a study to describe the iceberg phenomenon for ED and their help-seeking behaviour in the general population during a period when public interest in ED heightened and waned after the introduction of the drug sildenafil. They published their findings in the 19 May 2010 online edition of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
The data were obtained as part of a large longitudinal community-based study, i.e., the Krimpen study. With four rounds of data collection with an approximate 2.1 years interval, the local pharmacists provided data on medication use, whereas abstracts from the medical record and history were provided by the local general practitioners (GPs). The data from the questionnaires were entered into the Krimpen study database but were not communicated to the GPs.
The results showed that the age-standardised prevalence of ED is stable, i.e., around 40%. During the period 1995 to 2000, the incidence increased from 5% to 6.5%, then it stabilises around 5% per year. The first-time use of ED medication increases exponentially between 1995 and 2000, then it stabilises at about 3.5% per year. The number of GP consultations by men with ED increases up to 1999, after which it stabilises at about 1.8% per year.
"We suggest that the availability and awareness of a new pharmacological option induced a change of behaviour among GPs and their patients," the researchers concluded.
Source: B. W.V. Schouten, et al., "Erectile Dysfunction in the Community: Trends over Time in Incidence, Prevalence, GP Consultation and Medication Use—the Krimpen Study: Trends in ED," (DOI) 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01849.
