As if erectile dysfunction weren’t enough of a bummer itself, a recent study has found that ED increases the risk of early death by a whopping 70 percent. That news alone would be enough to wilt your boner if in fact you could get one.
Earlier studies have produced strong evidence of the link between erection problems and cardiovascular health, so it’s not exactly a giant leap to believe that untreated vascular problems could eventually lead to an early demise. It’s just that seeing it printed in black and white is very sobering news indeed.
Good for the Penis, Good for the Heart
A number of urologists and cardiologists have made the point that what’s good for the penis is good for the heart, or vice versa. By the same token, what’s bad for the penis is bad for the heart. And the rest of the body, for that matter.
As the TV commercials for Cialis correctly point out, “your erectile dysfunction could be a matter of blood flow,” and, indeed, insufficient blood flow to the penis is responsible for the vast majority of ED. Other less common causes of impotence include psychological problems, which account for 10 to 20 percent of all ED, hormonal imbalance, and traumatic injury to the genitals, which thankfully isn’t very common at all.
University of Mississippi Study
The link between ED and the increased risk of early death comes from the findings of a University of Mississippi study that was published in the November 2015 issue of the “Journal of Sexual Medicine.” The scholars behind the study at Ole Miss set out to see what, if any, relationship exists between ED and deaths from all causes, a subject that has not been extensively studied.
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,800 men between the ages of 20 and 85 who had participated in the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). By carefully evaluating this data, they found that 557 NHANES participants had erectile dysfunction. They then cross-referenced their findings from NHANES with death certificates that had been filed with the National Death Index through December 21, 2011.
Almost Half Died Within 8 Years
They found that 244 of the 557 ED patients identified through NHANES had died within eight years of taking the survey. Of those who died, 61 suffered from cardiovascular disease, 64 succumbed to some form of cancer, and 12 suffered from chronic disease of the lower respiratory tract. The remaining 105 deaths were attributed to a wide range of other diseases, according to the study.
The University of Mississippi research team then adjusted the results to reflect such factors as age, race, ethnicity, level of physical activity, waist size, poverty-to-income ratio, smoking history, and comorbid conditions. After making these adjustments, they found that the increased risk of premature death was 70 percent. However, researchers urged that their findings be interpreted with caution, because their overall sample size was relatively limited. They also pointed out that only 61 of the 557 men with ED were between the ages of 20 and 49, and of that number, only four died.
ED Usually Shows Up First
Because the arteries that supply the male genitals are significantly smaller than those that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart and brain, erection problems almost always show up well before other illnesses related to insufficient blood flow. The good news is that erection problems provide an early warning of the vascular insufficiencies and other physical conditions that could in time lead to far more serious events, such as a heart attack or stroke. For those who heed the warning, there is an opportunity to turn things around through behavior modification.
Eating a healthier diet, getting physically active, and quitting smoking are all positive steps that may allow men who take them to regain relatively normal sexual function while at the same time reducing the risk of more serious illness. For those who are suffering from type 2 diabetes, which is also associated with an elevated risk of ED, properly managing their disease under a doctor’s care can sometimes significantly reduce the adverse effects of their illness.
Australian Study
While the University of Mississippi study looked at the association between erectile dysfunction and the risk of mortality from all causes, earlier studies have focused specifically on the link between ED and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. One such study, conducted by a team of Australian researchers, found that even relatively mild impotence symptoms could signal the presence of “silent” heart disease that could lead to premature death.
The Australian study was the first to show a direct link between the severity of a man’s ED symptoms and his risk of dying early or being hospitalized for heart disease, according to the study’s lead author, epidemiologist Emily Banks, Ph.D. Banks, professor of epidemiology and public health at Australian National University, told “Urology Times” that “the risks of future heart disease and premature death increased steadily with severity of erectile dysfunction, both in men with and without a history of cardiovascular disease.”
Large-Scale Study
According to findings published in a 2013 issue of “PLOS Medicine,” the Australian research team culled through hospital and death records from 95,000 men who had participated in the 45 and Up Study, a large-scale exploration of healthy aging. Men participating in the study provided information about their lifestyle and overall health and were followed for a period of two to three years. Among these 95,000 men, there were 7,855 hospital admissions related to cardiovascular disease and a total of 2,304 deaths during the follow-up period.
Among men with no previous history of cardiovascular disease, those with severe ED had a significantly higher risk of ischemic heart attack, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, other forms of CVD, and all-cause mortality than men with no symptoms of ED. For men who had previously been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, these risks were even greater.
Greeks Report Similar Findings
Coming up with similar findings was a Greek study conducted by cardiology specialists at Athens Medical School. That study, published in a 2013 issue of “Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes,” found that men diagnosed with ED are 62 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than men with no symptoms of impotence. Based on their meta-analysis of relevant scientific literature, Greek researchers determined that men with ED have a 39 percent increased risk of stroke-type events and a 25 percent increased risk of premature death from all causes.
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Don Amerman is a freelance author who writes extensively about a wide array of nutrition and health-related topics.
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