Study Reveals High Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction in Sarcoidosis Patients

The new research, published in CHEST, highlights that sexual dysfunction is notably prevalent among patients with sarcoidosis, revealing that this issue affects a significant portion of the population suffering from the disease. The study emphasizes that sexual dysfunction in sarcoidosis patients is not just a matter of personal distress but is also intertwined with broader markers of quality of life.

This study, conducted by Catharina C. Moor, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sarcoidosis Center of Excellence, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, and colleagues, is the first to evaluate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in patients with sarcoidosis.

"Two-thirds of women with sarcoidosis experienced sexual dysfunction, while nearly 40% of men reported erectile dysfunction. Additionally, over 70% of patients indicated low overall sexual satisfaction. The study also found significant correlations between sexual health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), as well as depressive symptoms and fatigue," the researchers reported.

Sarcoidosis, a multisystem disease causing granulomatous inflammation, leads to symptoms like fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and pain, significantly affecting health-related quality of life. Sexual dysfunction, often linked to chronic inflammatory conditions, may be exacerbated by sarcoidosis and its treatments. However, its prevalence in sarcoidosis has not been studied. Considering this, Dr. Moor and colleagues sought to assess the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in both men and women with sarcoidosis and to investigate how sexual dysfunction correlates with HRQoL, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and fatigue.

For this purpose, the researchers conducted a single-center cross-sectional study comprising data from 93 patients with sarcoidosis who completed validated surveys to determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction.

Out of 150 outpatients, 101 agreed to participate, and 93 completed the questionnaires. The average FSFI score was 20.33, with 66.7% of women experiencing sexual dysfunction.

The study led to the following findings:

• Among men, 39.2% had erectile dysfunction (10.7% severe), and 71.5% reported low overall satisfaction.
• There were significant correlations between sexual dysfunction and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety, depression, and fatigue.
• The FSFI score moderately correlated with the KSQ score (r = 0.36).
• In men, the KSQ score correlated with erectile dysfunction (r = 0.37) but not with overall satisfaction (r = 0.25).
• Depressive symptoms correlated with sexual dysfunction in women (r = –0.49), erectile dysfunction (r = –0.44), and overall satisfaction in men (r = –0.33).
• Anxiety had a moderate negative correlation with erectile dysfunction (r = –0.31) but not with FSFI.
• Fatigue correlated with sexual dysfunction in women (r = –0.42) but not in men.

"The higher rates of sexual dysfunction in both male and female patients with sarcoidosis underscore the importance of raising awareness among healthcare professionals who treat these individuals," the researchers wrote.

"Clinicians are encouraged to routinely evaluate sexual health, address any contributing factors, and, when necessary, refer patients for psychosexual counseling," they concluded.

Reference:

Moor CC, Gur-Demirel Y, Koudstaal T, Miedema JR, Sexual dysfunction in patients with sarcoidosis, CHEST (2024), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2024.07.159.