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Gene Associated with ED Risk Discovered: What Are the Implications?

Medical doctor smiling next to a DNA model.

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An exciting finding by genetic researchers opens the door to possible development of genetic-based therapies for ED. In the meantime, healthy living is the best way to protect against symptoms of impotence.

Scientists’ discovery of a gene implicated in the development of erectile dysfunction confirms long-held suspicions that ED has a genetic component. However, the discovery should not be interpreted to undermine the importance of a healthy lifestyle in the maintenance of robust erectile function.

In a study published in the October 8, 2018, issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the American research team responsible for the discovery tied ED risk to “genetic variation in the SIM1 locus.” The SIM1 gene is a protein-coding gene previously associated with the risk for obesity and a genetic disorder known as Prader-Willi syndrome.

Much Work Remains to Be Done

Although this discovery generated considerable excitement in the scientific community, much additional work will be needed to transform the finding into new gene-based treatments for ED. To this point, the study’s lead author, Eric Jorgenson, said the discovery “opens the door for investigations into new, genetic-based therapies.”

The finding is of particular interest to those men whose symptoms of ED don’t respond to currently available therapies, the most common of which is the family of oral medications known as PDE5 inhibitors.

Meanwhile Get Active

In the meantime, all men worried about developing symptoms of impotence  should adopt a healthy lifestyle designed to preserve and improve erectile function. This means eating a healthy diet, exercising on a regular basis, shedding excess pounds, managing underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and quitting unhealthy habits such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.

If you find it difficult, if not impossible, to get and keep an erection suitable for intercourse, the best available treatment these days is one of the PDE5 inhibitors, such as Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra. You may find that you can save both time and money by ordering your ED drugs from longtime online facilitator eDrugstore.com. To learn more, visit its Erectile Dysfunction page.

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