Men Suffering From Erectile Dysfunction Might Be At A Higher Risk Of Dying Early, Study Suggests

Erectile dysfunction, a.k.a. ED, is the inability to get or maintain an erection long enough to indulge in sexual intercourse. It is a common condition that affects almost 30 million American men. According to a new study, ED isn’t just an issue pertaining to a man’s sexual health but could also indicate heart disease risk and premature death.

ED is more often noted in older men and can be attributed to lower levels of the testosterone hormone, which is vital for the development of male reproductive tissues as well as the growth of muscles, body hair and bone mass. The new study pointed out that men with ED have a higher risk of dying, regardless of their testosterone levels.

The study is accepted for presentation at ENDO 2020, which is the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, and will be published in a special supplementation section of the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

"As both vascular disease and low testosterone levels can influence erectile function, sexual symptoms can be an early sign for increased cardiovascular risk and mortality," EurekAlert quoted the study’s lead researcher Leen Antonio, M.D., Ph.D., of KU Leuven-University Hospitals in Belgium.

The researchers used data collected from the European Male Ageing Study, a large observational study that was used to investigate age-related hormonal changes and a broad range of health outcomes among older men.

They analyzed data from 1,93 participants from five different medical centers and analyzed the relationship between their hormone measurements and sexual function at the beginning of the study. They also found out if the participants were still alive 12 years later.

The findings revealed the following:

• Among men with normal testosterone levels alongside the presence of sexual problems especially erectile dysfunction, the risk of mortality increased by 51% compared with men who didn’t experience ED.
• Older men with ED, poor morning erections and low libido had a higher risk of death compared to others.
• Among men with all these 3 symptoms, the mortality risk was about 1.8% higher compared to those without ED.
• Among those who had died, the levels of free testosterone were very low.
• Men with the lowest levels of free testosterone had a higher death risk.