Study Identifies Serum Leptin Levels as Potential New Marker for Premature Ejaculation

The findings, published in Sexual Medicine, indicated a statistically significant correlation between lower serum leptin levels and the presence of PE. Moreover, patients with premature ejaculation showed a significant reduction in serum leptin levels after eight weeks of treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Leptin, a hormone primarily associated with regulating energy balance and appetite, has recently been implicated in various physiological functions, including sexual health. The researchers noted that leptin, which was identified in humans in 1994, has recently been found to have a potential connection to premature ejaculation. Considering this, Xiansheng Zhang, Institute of Urology, Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province, China, and colleagues aimed to assess the differences in serum leptin levels between patients with premature ejaculation and healthy men and examine the changes in leptin levels before and after treatment.

For this purpose, the researchers identified six studies published up to October 2021 that examined the link between leptin and premature ejaculation. These studies were sourced from various databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane, and the data were analyzed using Stata software.

The main outcomes focused on comparing leptin levels between patients with premature ejaculation and healthy individuals, as well as observing changes in leptin levels in patients before and after treatment.

The study led to the following findings:

• Analysis of studies comparing leptin concentrations between patients with premature ejaculation and healthy men revealed a statistically significant difference in leptin levels, with a weighted mean difference (WMD) of 17.89.
• A review of data from three studies on serum leptin levels in PE patients before and after treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors indicated a significant decrease in leptin levels following treatment, with a WMD of 22.06.

In the meta-analysis, the authors reviewed data from five studies examining serum leptin levels and IIEF-5 scores in patients with premature ejaculation and healthy controls. They found a statistically significant association between lower serum leptin levels and patients with PE. Furthermore, the analysis of three studies on leptin levels before and after treatment revealed that patients experienced a significant reduction in serum leptin levels after eight weeks of treatment with SSRIs.

"These findings suggest that leptin may serve as a promising new marker for premature ejaculation," the researchers concluded.

Reference:

Liu, G., Zhang, Y., Zhang, W., Wu, X., Gao, H., Jiang, H., Dai, Y., & Zhang, X. (2022). Novel Marker for Premature Ejaculation: Serum Leptin Level. Sexual Medicine, 10(3), 100509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esxm.2022.100509