Study of Sexual Dysfunction and Place of Sexuality in Patients Included in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program in Champagne-Ardenne

Sexual health is an important marker of individual quality of life and well-being of patients. Sexual dysfunction (SD) is common in patients with heart disease. Screening and management are recommended. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) seems to be a privileged moment to address this problem, but the management is often insufficient. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of SD in patients in CR in the Champagne-Ardenne region. Secondary objectives were to describe SD most frequently encountered, to identify risk factors of SD, to compare the feelings of patients about their sex life, before and after an acute cardiac event and to collect an estimate of the need for care by a dedicated sexology workshop.

This prospective multicentre study was carried out in the cardiac rehabilitation centers of Champagne-Ardenne (Reims, Ardennes and Troyes ) between 1 June and 1 September 2017 by anonymous self-questionnaire.

Eligible patients must have reached the age of majority, participate in a CR program at one of the centers cited, and agreed to respond to the study questionnaire voluntarily. Sexual inactivity and celibacy were not exclusionary criteria because prior sexual behavior did not predict future behavior and the need for counseling. Patients were informed about the objectives and conduct of the study by a health professional during their rehabilitation program or in follow-up consultations with the cardiologist. If the patient agreed to participate in the study, a questionnaire and an information sheet was provided. The questionnaire had to be completed anonymously and individually by the patient, to avoid any influence. It was then put back in an enclosed opaque envelope, in a closed urn left near the cloakroom of each center.

Data are described as mean (± standard deviation) for quantitative variables and as a percentage for categorical variables. The Student or Wilcoxon-Mann Whitney test were used for the quantitative variables and chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. The multivariate analysis of SD risk factors was performed by logistic regression. The Odds Ratio (OR) is reported with its 95% confidence interval (CI). The tests were bilateral with a threshold of significance at p <0.05.