Did you know that more than 50 percent of men diagnosed with diabetes worldwide experience erectile dysfunction?
That’s a pretty shocking number, right?
Well, consider this: erectile dysfunction affects more than 65 percent of men with type 2 diabetes.
That is about 3.5 times more prevalent among men with diabetes than those without. This link between diabetes and erectile dysfunction is so common that many professionals are beginning to urge a screening among men with diabetes.
Erectile Dysfunction and Diabetes
The link between diabetes and erectile dysfunction is a strong one and can be caused by a variety of factors. Increasing age, hypertension, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and poor glycemic control all contribute to erectile dysfunction.
Even so, the data on this link isn’t all that clear. In fact, when reviewing all current studies on diabetes and erectile dysfunction, the prevalence rates vary greatly. Some studies report a 34 percent prevalence while others report an 80 percent prevalence.
So, what gives?
Well, there are a few reasons for the varying degrees of prevalence.
First, many of the studies used different questionnaires (which proves the importance of reliability in scientific studies!). Some questionnaires demonstrated higher prevalence rates while others reported lower rates.
Another reason the rates vary so greatly is that there is a long list of contributing factors to erectile dysfunction.
A person who is diagnosed with diabetes and is also a smoker is much more likely to experience erectile dysfunction than, say, a diabetic marathon runner.
The analysis also showed that those over the age of 60 were signi
ficantly more likely to experience erectile dysfunction.
Of all of the mixed data, though, there was one thing that was consistent. Men diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were more likely to experience erectile dysfunction than men diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
This points to the lifestyle component in such a diagnosis. If you’re nervous that erectile dysfunction could be an issue for you, then talk to your doctor. Perhaps the two of you can brainstorm natural and effective ways to get things up and running again.
[expand title=”References“]
Medscape. URL Link. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
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