Impotence Linked to Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, July 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Men who experience impotence may face twice the risk of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes compared to men without such sexual problems, a new study suggests.
"This effect was more significant among middle-aged men 40 to 59 years old," said lead researcher Dr. Sean Skeldon, a resident in family medicine at the University of Toronto in Canada.
"The probability of having undiagnosed diabetes increased from one in 50 in men without erectile dysfunction, to one in 10 in men with erectile dysfunction," Skeldon said.
It's important to note this study only found a link between impotence and type 2 diabetes. It didn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship between the health issues.
The report was published in the July/August issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
For the study, Skeldon's team collected data on more than 4,500 men 20 and older who took part in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2004.
The researchers looked at the association of erectile dysfunction with undiagnosed high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes in that group.
The investigators didn't find any link between having trouble achieving or keeping an erection and undiagnosed high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
But they found that the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes was 11.5 percent in men with impotence compared to about 3 percent among men without the disorder. In men aged 40 to 59, the rate of undiagnosed diabetes was 19 percent in men with erectile dysfunction compared to 3 percent in those who didn't have erectile troubles, the study found.
Erectile dysfunction is a risk factor for future heart disease, Skeldon said. Unlike diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, which typically have no obvious symptoms, impotence is something men recognize as a problem, he said.
"Men with erectile dysfunction should see their doctors to ensure they are properly screened for diabetes," Skeldon said. "Doing so may help prevent heart disease down the road. Conversely, doctors should ensure that they perform the proper screening for men with erectile dysfunction."
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, July 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Men who experience impotence may face twice the risk of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes compared to men without such sexual problems, a new study suggests.
"This effect was more significant among middle-aged men 40 to 59 years old," said lead researcher Dr. Sean Skeldon, a resident in family medicine at the University of Toronto in Canada.
"The probability of having undiagnosed diabetes increased from one in 50 in men without erectile dysfunction, to one in 10 in men with erectile dysfunction," Skeldon said.
It's important to note this study only found a link between impotence and type 2 diabetes. It didn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship between the health issues.
The report was published in the July/August issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
For the study, Skeldon's team collected data on more than 4,500 men 20 and older who took part in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2004.
The researchers looked at the association of erectile dysfunction with undiagnosed high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes in that group.
The investigators didn't find any link between having trouble achieving or keeping an erection and undiagnosed high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
But they found that the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes was 11.5 percent in men with impotence compared to about 3 percent among men without the disorder. In men aged 40 to 59, the rate of undiagnosed diabetes was 19 percent in men with erectile dysfunction compared to 3 percent in those who didn't have erectile troubles, the study found.
Erectile dysfunction is a risk factor for future heart disease, Skeldon said. Unlike diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, which typically have no obvious symptoms, impotence is something men recognize as a problem, he said.
"Men with erectile dysfunction should see their doctors to ensure they are properly screened for diabetes," Skeldon said. "Doing so may help prevent heart disease down the road. Conversely, doctors should ensure that they perform the proper screening for men with erectile dysfunction."