Faculty Bibliography

In this study, we sought to determine the burden and characteristics of orgasmic dysfunction (OD) and concomitant erectile dysfunction (ED) in men with type 1 diabetes (T1D) enrolled in the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study. In 2010, we assessed orgasmic and erectile function using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). Sociodemographic, clinical, and diabetes characteristics were compared by OD status (OD only, OD and ED, no ED or OD). Age-adjusted associations between risk factors and OD status were examined. OD and ED information was available from 563 men. Eighty-three men (14.7%) reported OD of whom 21 reported OD only and 62 reported OD and ED. Age-adjusted odds ratios demonstrated that men who reported OD only had higher odds of depression, low sexual desire, and decreased alcohol use compared with men reporting no dysfunction. Men with OD concomitant with ED had greater odds of elevated hemoglobin A1C, peripheral and autonomic neuropathy, and nephropathy. Men reporting both dysfunctions were also more likely to report smoking, lower urinary tract symptoms, and had greater odds of androgen deficiency than men with no sexual dysfunction. Men with longstanding T1D suffer from an increased burden of OD. Psychogenic factors predominate in men reporting OD only while men who present with concomitant ED report increased burden of diabetes severity, characteristics previously observed with incident ED. ED may be the central impediment to sexual function in men with OD and ED. Longitudinal studies to characterize OD and ED experience over time are warranted.

The brain mechanisms underlying the association of hyperglycemia with depressive symptoms are unknown. We hypothesized that disrupted glutamate metabolism in pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in type 1 diabetes (T1D) without depression affects emotional processing. Using proton MRS, we measured glutamate concentrations in ACC and occipital lobe cortex (OCC) in 13 subjects with T1D without major depression (HbA_1c 7.1 ± 0.7% [54 ± 7 mmol/mol]) and 11 healthy control subjects without diabetes (HbA_1c 5.5 ± 0.2% [37 ± 3 mmol/mol]) during fasting euglycemia followed by a 60-min +5.5 mmol/L hyperglycemic clamp (HG). Intrinsic neuronal activity was assessed using resting-state blood oxygen level-dependent functional MRI to measure the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in slow-4 band (fALFF4). Emotional processing and depressive symptoms were assessed using emotional tasks (emotional Stroop task, self-referent encoding task [SRET]) and clinical ratings (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D], Symptom Checklist-90 Revised [SCL-90-R]), respectively. During HG, ACC glutamate increased (1.2 mmol/kg, 10% P = 0.014) while ACC fALFF4 was unchanged (-0.007, -2%, P = 0.449) in the T1D group; in contrast, glutamate was unchanged (-0.2 mmol/kg, -2%, P = 0.578) while fALFF4 decreased (-0.05, -13%, P = 0.002) in the control group. OCC glutamate and fALFF4 were unchanged in both groups. T1D had longer SRET negative word response times (P = 0.017) and higher depression rating scores (HAM-D P = 0.020, SCL-90-R depression P = 0.008). Higher glutamate change tended to associate with longer emotional Stroop response times in T1D only. Brain glutamate must be tightly controlled during hyperglycemia because of the risk for neurotoxicity with excessive levels. Results suggest that ACC glutamate control mechanisms are disrupted in T1D, which affects glutamatergic neurotransmission related to emotional or cognitive processing. Increased prefrontal glutamate during acute hyperglycemic episodes could explain our previous findings of associations among chronic hyperglycemia, cortical thinning, and depressive symptoms in T1D.

Objective/UNASSIGNED:Given the high mortality and prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation of COVID-19 patients, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen for COVID-19 patients with respiratory distress. Methods/UNASSIGNED:This is a single-center clinical trial of COVID-19 patients at NYU Winthrop Hospital from March 31 to April 28, 2020. Patients in this trial received hyperbaric oxygen therapy at 2.0 atmospheres of pressure in monoplace hyperbaric chambers for 90 minutes daily for a maximum of five total treatments. Controls were identified using propensity score matching among COVID-19 patients admitted during the same time period. Using competing-risks survival regression, we analyzed our primary outcome of inpatient mortality and secondary outcome of mechanical ventilation. Results/UNASSIGNED:We treated 20 COVID-19 patients with hyperbaric oxygen. Ages ranged from 30 to 79 years with an oxygen requirement ranging from 2 to 15 liters on hospital days 0 to 14. Of these 20 patients, two (10%) were intubated and died, and none remain hospitalized. Among 60 propensity-matched controls based on age, sex, body mass index, coronary artery disease, troponin, D-dimer, hospital day, and oxygen requirement, 18 (30%) were intubated, 13 (22%) have died, and three (5%) remain hospitalized (with one still requiring mechanical ventilation). Assuming no further deaths among controls, we estimate that the adjusted subdistribution hazard ratios were 0.37 for inpatient mortality (p=0.14) and 0.26 for mechanical ventilation (p=0.046). Conclusion/UNASSIGNED:Though limited by its study design, our results demonstrate the safety of hyperbaric oxygen among COVID-19 patients and strongly suggests the need for a well-designed, multicenter randomized control trial.

OBJECTIVE:To gain insight into the effect of blood pressure on the pathophysiology of diabetic erectile dysfunction, we determined the onset, severity and treatment of hypertension and risk of incident erectile dysfunction in men with type I diabetes. METHODS:This prospective cohort study included 692 men without prevalent erectile dysfunction in the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications study. Erectile dysfunction was assessed yearly for 16 years with a single question querying presence of impotence. Multivariable cox proportional hazards models examined associations of hypertension variables with risk for incident erectile dysfunction. RESULTS:Over 7762 person-years of follow-up, 337 of 692 men reported incident erectile dysfunction representing an unadjusted rate of 43.4 cases per 1000 person-years. Risk of erectile dysfunction significantly increased with each 10 mmHg of SBP elevation for those not taking antihypertensive medications, after adjustment for age, cigarette smoking and HbA1c levels [relative risk (RR) = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.04-1.41]. This relationship disappeared among those reporting antihypertensive medication use (RR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.84-1.10) and the interaction between SBP and medication use was statistically significant (P = 0.02). Antihypertensive medication did not confer any reduction of erectile dysfunction risk, with similar rates across all measures of blood pressure and hypertension. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Among men with type 1 diabetes not using antihypertensive medications, higher SBP is associated with increased risk of developing erectile dysfunction. These findings provide evidence to support further investigation into the potential benefit of early blood pressure control on risk of erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes regardless of age, blood pressure level, or glycemic control.