Age-related impotence may improve over time

	Tweet

About one third of older men who are impotent (men with erectile dysfunction) will experience natural remission, with symptoms becoming less severe but not necessarily going away completely, research suggests. However, they also estimated another third will experience a worsening this condition over time.

Erectile dysfunction, which affects more than 150 million men, has received increased attention in recent years due to its high prevalence and the development of effective treatments, such as Viagra, doctors note in The Journal of Urology.

However, little is known about the natural course of erectile dysfunction after onset. To investigate, researchers analyzed data for 401 men between 40 and 70 years old with varying degrees of erectile dysfunction who were followed for about 9 years as part of the longitudinal Massachusetts Male Aging Study.

Dr. Thomas G. Travison from New England Research Institutes in Watertown, Massachusetts told Reuters Health “the key and most surprising” observation was the proportion of men who exhibited natural erectile dysfunction remission. Symptoms of erectile dysfunction improved during follow-up in a total of 141 men or 35 percent.

However, of 323 subjects with minimal or moderate erectile dysfunction, 107 (33 percent) experienced a worsening of erectile dysfunction symptoms. Of 78 men with complete erectile dysfunction, 45 (58 percent) still had complete erectile dysfunction at the end of follow-up.

The chance of remission seemed to decline with age and be lower among heavier subjects...This agrees with results from other groups who have targeted obese men for intervention,” Travison told Reuters Health.

Additionally, smoking and poorer general health were associated with worsening of erectile dysfunction symptoms.

“The most important implication of this work,” Travison noted, “is that it confirms that maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle as one gets older is critical for maintaining, and in some cases improving, male sexual function.”

SOURCE: The Journal of Urology, January 2007.

RELATED STORIES:
Semen allergy suspected in rare post-orgasm illness   Sexual behaviour at work still a problem shows new study from Rotman School   Abused, maltreated kids have sex earlier: study   Obese have worse sexual health despite less sex   Viagra plus recreational drugs equals risky sexual behaviour   Modernizing the treatment of sexual dysfunction in men   IU study finds no consensus in definitions of ‘had sex’   6 Sex Positions Men Love   Gene mutation associated with male infertility   1 in 5 gay, bisexual men in US cities has HIV   Sexual Dysfunction in Women With Type 1 Diabetes   Anal HPV infection common in heterosexual men   Start sex on the right key with musical condoms   Teens Who Do Use Condoms Often Don’t Use Them Properly   ‘Love hormone’ oxytocin may help battle stress

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]