Abstract:
Objective To assess the association between hypertension and the risk of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) through a meta-analysis, providing clinically grounded information for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Methods A systematic search was performed using PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Databases, CQVIP, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database from inception up to September 23th, 2023.
Results A total of 23 studies were included in the meta-analysis, all of which were cross-sectional studies. The results showed that the risk of sexual dysfunction in hypertensive women was 1.498 times higher than that in non-hypertensive women (
OR=1.498, 95%
CI 1.179-1.905). A meta-analysis based on prevalence data obtained from 18 of these articles showed that the prevalence of FSD was 42.9%(95%
CI 32.9%-52.9%) in women,which was 49.7%(95%
CI 37.7%-61.7%) in hypertensive women and 38.2%(95%
CI 28.9%-47.5%) in non-hypertensive women. The subgroup analysis showed that among the studies in which the average age of the subjects was 46-49 years old, the risk of FSD among hypertensive women was 2.025 times than that of non-hypertensive women (
OR=2.025, 95%
CI 1.338-3.066); in studies with sample sizes <1 000, which was 1.685 times (
OR=1.685, 95%
CI 1.267-2.242);among European hypertensive women, which was 1.779 times (
OR=1.779, 95%
CI 1.226-2.580); in studies with regression models adjusted and unadjusted, which was 1.879 times (
OR=1.879, 95%
CI 1.045-3.381) and 1.432 times (
OR=1.432, 95%
CI 1.089-1.885); among studies using the female sexual function index (FSFI) scale as the FSD evaluation tool, which was 1.651 times (
OR=1.651, 95%
CI 1.162-2.348), andamong studies with a population of hospital patients, which was 1.788 times (
OR=1.788, 95%
CI 1.280-2.499).
Conclusion Hypertension may be a risk factor of FSD. At the same time, a causal relationship cannot be established based on the current data due to the lack of longitudinal studies in the included studies.