Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27505344›Full record

ArticleAtherosclerosis2016

Vitamin D deficiency is independently associated with greater prevalence of erectile dysfunction: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2004.

Youssef M K Farag, Eliseo Guallar, Di Zhao, Rita R Kalyani, Michael J Blaha, David I Feldman, Seth S Martin, Pamela L Lutsey, Kevin L Billups, Erin D Michos

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Atherosclerosis, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 71 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  6. The relationship between vitamin D levels and erectile dysfunction: A mini-review.Clinical and experimental reproductive medicine · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Youssef M K FaragWelch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA.
Eliseo GuallarWelch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA.
Di ZhaoWelch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA.
Rita R KalyaniDivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA.
Michael J BlahaCiccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA.
David I FeldmanCiccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA; University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA.
Seth S MartinWelch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA; Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA.
Pamela L LutseyDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, USA.
Kevin L BillupsDepartment of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA.
Erin D MichosWelch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA; Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA. Electronic address: edonnell@jhmi.edu.
Johns Hopkins University · USBrigham and Women's Hospital · USUniversity of Minnesota · US

Funding

Vitamin D, cerebrovascular risk, and neurocognitive decline: ARIC Brain MRI StudyR01NS072243 · NINDS · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI MICHOS, ERIN D · 2011 to 2014
$1.4M
NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS072243
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsErectile dysfunction (ED) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) share many common risk factors, and vascular ED is a marker for increased ASCVD risk. Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations have been associated with increased ASCVD risk, but less is known regarding the relationship of low 25(OH)D with ED. We determined whether 25(OH)D deficiency is associated with ED independent of ASCVD risk factors.

methodsWe performed cross-sectional analyses of 3390 men aged ≥20 years free of ASCVD who participated in NHANES 2001-2004. Serum 25(OH)D was measured by the DiaSorin radioimmunoassay; deficiency was defined as levels <20 ng/ml (<50 nmol/L). Self-reported ED, assessed by a single validated question, was defined as men who reported being "never" or "sometimes able" to maintain an erection. We assessed the relationship between 25(OH)D deficiency and ED prevalence using adjusted Poisson regression methods.

resultsAfter accounting for NHANES sampling, the weighted prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency and of ED were 30% and 15.2%, respectively. 25(OH)D levels were lower in men with vs. those without ED (mean 22.8 vs 24.3 ng/mL, respectively; p = 0.0005). After adjusting for lifestyle variables, comorbidities, and medication use, men with 25(OH)D deficiency had a higher prevalence of ED compared to those with levels ≥30 ng/ml (Prevalence Ratio 1.30, 95% CI 1.08-1.57).

conclusionIn this cross-sectional analysis of a representative sample of U.S. men, vitamin D deficiency was associated with an increased prevalence of ED independent of ASCVD risk factors. Additional research is needed to evaluate whether treating vitamin D deficiency improves erectile function.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overComorbidityCross-Sectional StudiesErectile DysfunctionHumansLife StyleMaleMiddle AgedNutrition SurveysPoisson DistributionPrevalenceRadioimmunoassayRisk FactorsVitamin D DeficiencyAtherosclerosisCardiovascular diseaseErectile dysfunctionNHANESRace/ethnicityVitamin D deficiency

Identifiers

PMID27505344
PMCPMC5035618
OpenAlexW2493675446

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.