Smoking can cause erectile dysfunction

Smoking can cause erectile dysfunction

Washington: Men who smoke are exposing themselves to the risk of erectile dysfunction, according to Tulane University researchers.



The more men smoke, the higher their chances of experiencing erectile dysfunction, say the researchers. Led by Jiang He, professor of epidemiology at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, the researchers examined the association between cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction in a 2000-2001 study in China that involved 7,684 men.

The surveyed men were between the ages of 35 to 74 and they did not have vascular disease. The researchers used questionnaires to assess the status of cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction.

It was found that there was a significant statistical link between the number of cigarettes that men smoked and the likelihood that they would experience erectile dysfunction. This association was even stronger in participants with diabetes.

The study, reported in the American journal of epidemiology, suggests that an estimated 22.7 per cent of erectile dysfunction cases among Chinese men may be attributed to cigarette smoking.

Although erectile dysfunction is not a life-threatening condition, it affects well-being and quality of life. The researchers are of the opinion that smoking preventions may prove an important approach for reducing the risk of erectile dysfunction.