Association of statin use with severe urogenital symptoms and lower sexual function in postmenopausal women: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between statin use, urogenital symptoms and sexual function in postmenopausal women. METHOD: This cross-sectional study included 1184 postmenopausal women from nine Latin American countries. Participants were classified according to statin use. Urogenital symptoms were assessed using the urogenital domain of the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and sexual function was evaluated with the Female Sexual Function Index-6 (FSFI-6). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors independently associated with severe urogenital symptoms and lower sexual function. RESULTS: Of the participants, 307 (25.9%) were statin users. According to the MRS, statin users reported significantly higher frequencies of vaginal dryness, urinary complaints and sexual problems as well as a greater prevalence of severe urogenital symptoms than non-users (24.4% vs. 12.3%; p < 0.001). They also showed poorer performance across all FSFI-6 domains and a higher prevalence of lower sexual function (78.5% vs. 64.4%; p < 0.001). After adjustment for confounders, statin use remained independently associated with severe urogenital symptoms (odds ratio [OR] 1.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-2.50) and lower sexual function (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.07-1.99). CONCLUSIONS: Statin use was independently associated with severe urogenital symptoms and lower sexual function in postmenopausal women. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causality.