Why are more and more young men getting erectile dysfunction?

For long erectile dysfunction or ED was thought to be a condition that affected older men but a new study reveals what young men may also be afflicted by this highly debilitating condition. The study

By: Nirmalya Dutta | | Updated: March 9, 2015 7:09 pm

For long erectile dysfunction or ED was thought to be a condition that affected older men but a new study reveals what young men may also be afflicted by this highly debilitating condition. The study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine suggests that one in four men at a clinic who sought help for ED are now under 40! Nearly half of those (48.8%) under 40 actually suffered from a more severe form of Ed compared to 40% of men older than the age of 40. Also Read - 'Casual' smokers may also have nicotine addiction: Home remedies to help you quit smoking

‘Erectile function, in general, is a marker for overall cardiovascular function — this is the first research showing evidence of severe erectile dysfunction in a population of men 40 years of age or younger’ Irwin Goldstein, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, said in a statement. ‘Clinically, when younger patients have presented with erectile dysfunction, we have in the past had a bias that their ED was primarily psychologic-based and vascular testing was not needed,’ he added. ‘We now need to consider regularly assessing the integrity of arterial inflow in young patients — identifying arterial pathology in such patients may be very relevant to their overall long-term health.’ Also Read - Can vaping lead to smoking in teenagers? Here's what you need to know

The study takes into account 439 men who visited an outpatient clinic between 2010 and 2012. 26% of these men were 40 or younger and didn’t have conditions like excess weight; low blood levels of testosterone and had fewer medication conditions than their older counterparts. However, the younger men did smoke more and admitted to using illegal drugs with more frequency. Researchers found that the men 40 and younger were more likely to experience premature ejaculation than the older men, but the older men were more likely to experience a condition where the erection is bent because of scar tissue, which is called Peyronie’s disease. Also Read - Smoking cigarettes can worsen ‘severity of COVID-19 infection’

What is erectile dysfunction?

The inability to maintain an erection while having sex haunts men more than anything else and half the questions we receive on our Q&A section ask for tips to deal with this condition. Technically speaking, an erection is caused due to the hydraulic effect of blood entering and being retained in spongy bodies within the penis. In most males, this happens when they’re sexually aroused thanks to signals transmitted from the brain to nerves in the penis. Both the brain (to send a signal) and the heart (to pump blood to the penis) must work properly to get and maintain an erection. ED occurs whenever any of the proceedings are disrupted. Read on to find out more…

Published : June 13, 2013 10:49 am | Updated:March 9, 2015 7:09 pm

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