OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).

METHODSWe searched Cochrane Library, PubMed, China Academic Journal Full-Text Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang Resource Database and Chinese Journal Full-Text Database for clinical trials on the effect of CPAP on ED in OSAS patients. We identified the trials according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, evaluated their quality, and then extracted valid data for meta-analysis.

RESULTSWe included 4 articles, 3 in English and 1 in Chinese, involving 77 cases of OSAS with ED. Meta-analysis revealed no statistically significant heterogeneity among different studies (P = 0.80; I2 = 0%), and therefore the fixed effect model was used for the analysis, which showed a significant increase in the IIEF-5 score after CPAP treatment (WMD = 4.19, 95% [3.01, 5.36], P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONThe existing evidence from clinical trials shows that the CPAP therapy can significantly improve ED in OSAS patients. However, its efficacy has to be verified by randomized controlled clinical trials of higher quality and larger sample size.