{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,10]],"date-time":"2026-10-10T22:05:17Z","timestamp":1791669917789,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,7,11]],"date-time":"2019-07-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1562803200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aim of this study was to expand existing literature on the effects of cardiovascular risk factors on the outcome of low-intensity extracorporeal shockwaves therapy (LIESWT), and to evaluate the role of hormone concentrations. Twenty patients with long-standing, PDE5i-resistant, vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (VED) were treated with six weekly sessions of LIESWT (9000 pulses). After a three-week break, four poor responders underwent another six weekly sessions. Rigidity score (RS) questionnaire was administered at baseline (T0), last session (T1), and three months after LIESWT (T2), while the Improvement component of the Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC-I) and the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaires were administered at T1 and T2, and at T0 and T2, respectively. At T0 serum luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), calculated free testosterone, and prolactin levels were also recorded. At T1 and T2, 12\/20 (60%) and 11\/20 (55%) patients reached a RS \u2265 3; 16\/20 (80%) and 13\/20 (65%) improved their erections variably. Testosterone levels correlated positively with CGIC-I at T1. Patients &lt; 65 years and those nonhypercholesterolemic had higher RS at T1 and T2. Age correlated negatively with RS at T1 and T2. At T0, diabetic patients had lower IIEF-5 scores, but those with RS \u2265 3 at T1 had higher IIEF-5 compared to those with RS &lt; 3. Also, diabetes duration correlated inversely with IIEF-5 at T0. At T2, IIEF-5 improved significantly by an average of 2.8-points. We confirm safety and effectiveness of LIESWT for the treatment of VED. Age \u2265 65 years, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia influence early and negatively the outcome of LIESWT.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm8071017","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,7,11]],"date-time":"2019-07-11T11:28:28Z","timestamp":1562844508000},"page":"1017","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Determinants of Early Response to Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shockwaves for the Treatment of Vasculogenic Erectile Dysfunction: An Open-Label, Prospective Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5977-3062","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roberto","family":"Vita","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Salvatore","family":"Benvenga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy"},{"name":"Master Program on Childhood, Adolescent and Women\u2019s Endocrine Health, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy"},{"name":"Interdepartmental Program of Molecular &amp; Clinical Endocrinology, and Women\u2019s Endocrine Health, University Hospital, Policlinico Universitario G. Martino, 98125 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bruno","family":"Giammusso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Andrology Unit, Policlinico Morgagni, 95125 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7113-2372","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sandro","family":"La Vignera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Policlinico \u201cG. Rodolico,\u201d University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,7,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(12)60520-0","article-title":"Erectile dysfunction","volume":"381","author":"Shamloul","year":"2013","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1378","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jacc.2011.06.024","article-title":"Erectile dysfunction and risk of cardiovascular disease: Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies","volume":"58","author":"Dong","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Am. Coll. Cardiol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.1038\/ijir.2009.40","article-title":"Is erectile dysfunction a predictor of cardiovascular events or stroke? 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