If You Have ED You May Have Diabetes

2015-11-18

Lots of men with erectile dysfunction ignore the issue. Being a blow to their ego, they cannot accept their predicament and so operate in denial for some time. The problem is ED is often a symptom of a more serious condition. A new analysis published in the Annals of Family Medicine, finds that those with ED are at twice the risk of having undiagnosed diabetes. Previous studies have found that ED is an early indicator of heart disease. Cardiologists call it the “canary in the coal mine.” But no one has until now considered it an early indicator of diabetes. Canadian researchers from several universities worked together to complete the analysis. They scoured the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and looked at the years 2001–2004. This is a health survey of the noninstitutionalized U.S. population, taken every two years. 4,519 men age 20 and older answered the survey. Researchers examined their data noting the relationship between erectile dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

“How would you describe your ability to get and keep an erection adequate for satisfactory intercourse?” was the question the survey asked. For those men who answered “never able” or “sometimes able” researchers examined their fasting glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure measurements. Scientists then analyzed this data along with the men’s ages to determine the likelihood of the respondents having cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Researchers found a strong correlation between ED and undiagnosed diabetes. Around 45% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. But 15% of cases go undiagnosed. According to the aforementioned study, for men between the ages of 40 and 59, those without ED have a one in 50 chance of developing diabetes. But for those with ED, the risk is one in 10. If you are experiencing ED, it is likely your body is trying to tell you something. Listen to it. The quicker one gets treatment the better off you are in the long run. Any man experiencing ED should talk to a doctor or urologist right away.