Smoking history was linked to lower sexual-function scores after prostate surgery
Men who had ever smoked reported lower sexual function after prostate removal than never-smokers. Urinary leakage scores were similar.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Among men having surgery for localized prostate cancer, smoking history was associated with lower sexual-function questionnaire scores during recovery. Urinary leakage scores were similar between groups. The researchers adjusted for identified factors that could influence the comparison, but this observational study cannot establish that smoking caused the difference.
Questionnaire data were available for only 61% of otherwise eligible participants. The abstract cannot show whether the missing responses affected the comparison.
What researchers found
Patient-reported sexual function
Ever-smokers versus never-smokers over 24 months: adjusted EPIC-26 questionnaire difference, with a 95% confidence interval of -15.0 to -7.0 points.
What the scores measured
The researchers used a standardized questionnaire to compare patients' reported function after surgery. The central result concerns sexual-function scores, rather than a count of men diagnosed with a particular sexual disorder.
Recovery differed by outcome
The association appeared in sexual function, while urinary leakage scores were similar. Similar scores do not establish equivalence, and the abstract does not provide a numerical estimate of the urinary comparison.
The original publication
The association of smoking with urinary and sexual function recovery following radical prostatectomy.
Visscher J, Bonevski B, O'Callaghan M
BJU Int · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40533875
- Record checked
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