Data on the incidence of erectile dysfunction by age group in the United States varies widely depending on its source. Estimates of the total number of American men affected range from a low of 12 million to a high of 30 million.
Nobody questions the widespread incidence of erectile dysfunction in the United States, but different surveys and studies come up with widely divergent estimates of ED’s toll. While some reputable sources suggest that ED affects roughly 12 million American men, others — equally reputable — put the estimate as high as 30 million.
This seemingly contradictory data arises from a variety of causes, including differences in the methodology or sample size of the surveys or even differing definitions of exactly what constitutes ED. Some studies take a very broad view of ED, including even mild manifestations of impotence under this umbrella term, while others consider ED the absolute inability to get and keep an erection suitable for intercourse.
Incidence by Age Group
Pointing up these divergent estimates of ED’s prevalence overall are the percentage range of incidence by age group, as presented in an article that appeared in the November 15, 2016, issue of American Family Physician. The article’s authors, Karl T. Rew, M.D., and Joel J. Heidelbaugh, M.D., both serve on the faculty in the Division of Andrology and Urologic Health at the University of Michigan Medical School.
They reported that the incidence of ED among men aged 40 to 49 ranged from a low of 1 percent to a high of 29 percent, with a median of 6 percent. Estimates of the ED incidence in men between the ages of 50 and 59 ranged from a low of 3 percent to a high of 50 percent, with a median of 16 percent. In men between 60 and 69, estimates of ED prevalence ranged from 7 to 74 percent, with a median of 32 percent, while the estimated incidence of ED in men from 70 to 79 ranged from 26 to 76 percent with a median of 44 percent.
For the vast majority of men suffering from ED, the problem is insufficient blood flow to the penis. Viagra, its generic equivalent sildenafil citrate, and other oral ED drugs are generally effective and safe in treating this most common form of impotence. If you’d like to order Viagra or other ED drug from the comfort of your home, visit eDrugstore’s Erectile Dysfunction page to check out all that the longtime online facilitator has to offer.
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