Review
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World J Nephrol. Nov 6, 2014; 3(4): 220-229
Published online Nov 6, 2014. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v3.i4.220
Chronic kidney disease and erectile dysfunction
Etsu Suzuki, Hiroaki Nishimatsu, Shigeyoshi Oba, Masao Takahashi, Yukio Homma
Etsu Suzuki, Institute of Medical Science, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki 216-8512, Japan
Hiroaki Nishimatsu, Yukio Homma, The Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan
Shigeyoshi Oba, Masao Takahashi, The Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan
Author contributions: All the authors solely contributed to this paper.
Correspondence to: Etsu Suzuki, MD, PhD, Institute of Medical Science, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki 216-8512, Japan. esuzuki-tky@umin.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-44-9778361 Fax: +81-44-977-8361
Received: May 20, 2014
Revised: June 22, 2014
Accepted: September 6, 2014
Published online: November 6, 2014
Processing time: 171 Days and 3.5 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common condition in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. The etiology is multifactorial. Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors are commonly used for the initial treatment. ED has gained attention as an early marker for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which it frequently precedes. Therefore, it is pivotal to examine the presence of ED in CKD patients not only for the improvement of quality of life but also for the prevention of CVD attack. The pathophysiology of erection, which most nephrologists are not familiar with, is also discussed.