Patients

This study was conducted on 163 Chinese Han males who participated in physical examination in the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from October 2021 to January 2022. The average age of all subjects was 30-60years(45.41 ± 7.44). All participants denied the use of Phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor(PDE5i) and vitamin D supplements. And all of them were subjected to detailed history taking, including smoking history (smoking ≥ 1 cigarette/D, time ≥ 6 months) and drinking history (alcohol intake > 25g/D), clinical examination, measurement of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and determination of Body mass index (BMI). All participants were divided into four groups according to the IIEF-5 score, namely control group (IIEF>21), mild ED group (12≤IIEF ≤ 21), moderate ED group (8≤IIEF ≤ 11), severe ED group (0<IIEF ≤ 7).

Exclusion criteria included structural deformities of the penis like hypospadias. Medications-inducing ED such as antidepressants, antihypertensive, antiandrogens, neurogenic and psychogenic illnesses as well as abnormal serum testosterone levels were considered exclusion criteria. Patients who were underweight, those with type II diabetes, and those with illnesses known to influence 25(OH)D levels were also eliminated. Participants with a history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, hypogonadism, renal failure, autoimmune or inflammatory illnesses, or infection during the last six months were excluded. Similarly, all patients denied lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS), prostatitis and prostatic hyperplasia in the past six months.