OSA is a sleep-related breathing disorder. It occurs when the tissue at the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway which prevents breathing when someone is asleep forcing them to change their position to reopen the airways. OSA disrupts sleep and can increase the risk of other health problems such as heart disease and stroke.

CPAP is the most common and effective treatment for OSA. The steady flow of air from a CPAP machine keeps the airway open and restores normal oxygen levels during sleep. This helps maintain a steady, healthy level of breathing through the night.  

Researchers from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland assessed erectile function and libido of 92 men who were recently diagnosed with OSA and have started CPAP treatment. Almost half of the men suffered from Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Researchers reassessed the patients after one, three and finally six months of CPAP treatment.

The results show that CPAP improved the sexual function and satisfaction in the majority of men in the study regardless of their level of erectile function reported at the very start. Those with ED had more robust improvements and even many without ED reported improved sexual function and satisfaction.

“We were surprised at how prevalent ED is in a relatively young population of men with sleep apnea. The average age was 45,” said Joseph Dombrowsky, MD, the study’s primary investigator. “But we were similarly surprised at how robust a clinically significant response the men had with CPAP therapy.”

The abstract “The prevalence of erectile dysfunction and impact of CPAP therapy: a prospective analysis” is being presented today at SLEEP 2012, the 26th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) in Boston.