A recent study into the health of middle-aged men has discovered that difficulty getting or maintaining an erection can function as an "early warning sign" for reduced mortality.
The European Male Ageing Study (EMAS) asked 1,788 men aged 40 to 79 to report any health issues or ailments they were experiencing over a period of time - finding that reports of Erectile Dysfunction (ED) correlated with developing worse illnesses and early death.
Though ED is often associated with lower testosterone levels, the study found no relationship between testosterone levels and age of death.
Often, performance issues can be a sign of a wider health problem such as adult-onset diabetes or high cholesterol, which were some of the key life-limiting factors for the survey's participants.
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"Erectile Dysfunction is associated with mortality, whereas the association between low testosterone (T) and higher mortality remains controversial," wrote the study's researchers.
They continued: "Sexual dysfunction and low T often coexist, but the relative importance of sexual symptoms versus low T in predicting mortality is not known."
Maintaining a level of testosterone within a healthy range is important for the physical and reproductive health of men and doctors will often check "T" levels of patients referred with ED.
EMAS was launched to identify and measure the differences in the symptoms and disabilities associated with ageing in men from various regions in Europe.
The key point of the study's results was that men with three sexual symptoms (erectile dysfunction, reduced morning erections and lower libido) had a higher mortality risk compared with men with none of these symptoms.
What conditions can Erectile Dysfunction be a symptom of?
Performance issues are frequently caused by health issues that affect blood flow or the nervous system, making it a key warning sign of illnesses from hypertension to Parkinson's.
The NHS ' advice on erectile dysfunction says that you should speak to your GP or attend a sexual health clinic if you experience persistent problems maintaining an erection. The health service says the most common causes are as follows.
Possible cause:
Narrowing of penis blood vessels, high blood pressure, high cholesterol
Treatment:
Medicine to lower blood pressure, statins to lower cholesterol
Possible cause:
Hormone problems
Treatment:
Hormone replacement (for example, testosterone)
Possible cause:
Side effects of prescribed medicine
Treatment:
Change to medicine after discussion with GP
List of possible conditions:
Leading American healthcare providers, the Mayo Clinic, provides a full list of possible health conditions that can be indicated by penile performance issues, which are:
- Heart disease
- Clogged blood vessels (atherosclerosis)
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndrome — a condition involving increased blood pressure, high insulin levels, body fat around the waist and high cholesterol
- Parkinson's disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Certain prescription medications
- Tobacco use
- Peyronie's disease — development of scar tissue inside the penis
- Alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse
- Sleep disorders
- Treatments for prostate cancer or enlarged prostate
- Surgeries or injuries that affect the pelvic area or spinal cord
- Low testosterone.
Can you take Viagra if you have one of these conditions?
Just because you have ED and it is caused by one of these underlying health conditions, does not mean that you are helpless.
It is best to consult with your doctor first, but common treatments like Viagra can be prescribed to people with diabetes or heart disease.
Lloyd's Pharmacy's Dr Taguri said: "Yes, living with diabetes can mean that erectile dysfunction is more common, but you should still be able to take medication for your ED.
"You’ll also need to check that you’re not on any medicines that can interact with Viagra and other similar drugs.
"In most cases you can take ED medications if you have a heart condition. If you have had a heart attack or stroke in the past six months, or are taking nitrates for a heart condition such as angina, you will not be prescribed most ED medications.
"In these instances a vacuum pump might help you manage your ED."
