Gender Differences in the Association between Lipid Profile and Sexual Function among Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have been conducted on the association between lipid profile and sexual function among men with coronary artery disease, there is a paucity of knowledge about this association among women with coronary artery disease. OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to evaluate the link between lipid profile and sexual function in men and women with coronary artery disease. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients with documented coronary artery disease were consecutively sampled from an outpatient cardiovascular clinic. The patients were assessed for lipid profile and sexual relationship using the Relation and Sexuality Scale (RSS). In addition, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure the symptoms of anxiety and depression. The characteristics of chest pain were also measured using the Rose Angina Questionnaire. The data were analyzed through linear regression analysis. RESULTS: This study was conducted on 91 males (75.8%) and 29 females (24.2%). Multivariate analysis showed that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was correlated with sexual function (B = 0.01, P = 0.010) and total sexual relationship (B = 0.01, P = 0.050). A correlation was also observed between the level of high-density lipoprotein and sexual frequency score (B = -0.02, P = 0.040). Gender moderated these correlations. Among males, serum cholesterol (r = 0.193, P = 0.047) and low-density lipoprotein (r = 0.224, P = 0.037) were correlated to sexual function. In females, however, low-density lipoprotein was correlated to the total sexual relationship (r = 0.426, P = 0.021) and high-density lipoprotein was correlated to sexual frequency (r = -0.334, P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study showed a relationship between lipid profile and sexual relationship among both male and female patients with coronary artery disease. The link between lipid profile and sexual function of the patients with coronary artery disease is thus beyond just the effect of lipid profile on erectile dysfunction.