Vaping May Double Risk Of Erectile Dysfunction, Make Men Impotent: Study

A new study has found that vaping or use of e-cigarettes could increase the risk of erectile dysfunction in healthy men.

The study, conducted by researchers at New York’s Grossman School of Medicine and John Hopkins University and posted on the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that men who use e-cigarettes daily were 2.4 times more likely to report erectile dysfunction.

The study, published in November, also found that healthy men who vape regularly were 2.2 times more likely to become impotent than those who do not smoke nicotine. The study surveyed over 13,000 men over the age of 20.

Dr. Ginni Mansberg, a general practitioner for Sunrise, said the research may serve as a reminder about the risk of vape pens and e-cigarettes.

“We already know that it causes heart disease and lung disease,” she told 7News Australia. “But I reckon the erectile dysfunction thing might be the thing that actually makes people give it up.”

Smoking has long been linked to sexual dysfunction and impotence. Experts believe high levels of nicotine may result in poor blood vessel function, which can lead to poor blood supply to the penis, according to a 2005 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

A 2004 study published on BJU International found that heavy smokers are at a much higher risk of developing erectile dysfunction. Quitting smoking may reduce symptoms of erectile dysfunction. However, other factors such as age and the severity of erectile dysfunction, may reduce the degree that healthy penile function can return.

Besides causing erectile dysfunction, the use of e-cigarettes and vape pens have been linked to several medical issues, including serious lung damage and cancer. Nicotine is also known to increase a person’s heart rate, which also puts them at risk of having a heart attack.

"In the short term, nicotine can cause sleep problems and restlessness, as well as other symptoms like nausea, vomiting and mouth and tongue sores. Long term, nicotine—whether you inhale via an e-cigarette or via regular cigarette—causes cancer,” Dr. Nadine Cohen, who specializes in internal medicine and adolescent medicine at CareMount Medical, told WebMD.