AIM: We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among male patients on methadone and buprenorphine treatments.
METHODS: Relevant studies published from inception until December 2012 were identified by searching PubMed, OVID, and Embase. Studies were selected using prior defined criteria. Heterogeneity, publication bias, and odds ratio were assessed thoroughly.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To examine the prevalence and odds ratio of sexual dysfunctions among the methadone and buprenorphine groups.
RESULTS: A total of 1,570 participants from 16 eligible studies were identified in this meta-analysis. The studies provided prevalence estimates for sexual dysfunction among methadone users with a meta-analytical pooled prevalence of 52% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39-0.65). Only four studies compared sexual dysfunction between the two groups, with a significantly higher combined odds ratio in the methadone group (OR = 4.01, 95% CI, 1.52-10.55, P = 0.0049).
CONCLUSIONS: Evidence showed that the prevalence of sexual dysfunction was higher among the users of methadone compared with buprenorphine. Patients with sexual difficulty while on methadone treatment were advised to switch to buprenorphine.
METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 95 female patients with MDD who met the criteria of the study were recruited and were specifically assessed on the sexual function by trained psychiatrists. Patients' DNA was genotyped for BDNF Val66Met polymorphism using real-time polymerase chain reaction.
RESULTS: The prevalence of FSD in this study is 31.6%. In the FSD group, patients with problematic marriage were significantly more frequent compared with patients who did not have problematic marriage (P = 0.009). Significant association was detected in the lubrication domain with BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (P = 0.030) using additive genetic model, with even stronger association when using the recessive model (P = 0.013).
DISCUSSION: This study suggested that there was no significant association between BDNF Val66Met with FSD. However, this polymorphism is significantly associated with lubrication disorder in patients treated with SSRIs.