Erectile dysfunction is a significant problem in the USA and is linked to heart risk

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Eighteen million men in the USA are affected by erectile dysfunction and most have heart disease risk factors.
Erectile dysfunction occurs when a man cannot get or keep his erection. According to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, it is quite a significant problem in the USA. They report data from over 2,000 men in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which shows that 18 per cent had erectile dysfunction.

The problem is more common with age; only five per cent of those aged 20 to 40 have erectile dysfunction, but those aged 70 or older were far more likely to report a problem. Nearly half of those with diabetes also had erectile dysfunction. Meanwhile, 90 per cent of those with erectile dysfunction also had a risk factor for heart disease, such as high blood pressure or being a current smoker. The researchers believe doctors could use this data to motivate men to make lifestyle changes, like increasing their physical activity level, as this will reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction.

Source
American Journal of Medicine 1st February 2007

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