Erectile Dysfunction: 18 Million American Men Can't Be Wrong

Like I don't already have enough to worry about: I already watch what I eat....watch what I drink...watch how I dress....watch how I exercise. Heck, I've been warned to watch what I WATCH as well. Now I guess I have to add erectile dysfunction to the list?

NOT.

Or maybe I should say "not yet" instead.

Erectile dysfunction, or ED, can be a total inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or a tendency to sustain only brief erections. These variations make defining ED and estimating its incidence difficult.

However, according to a new study conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, more than 18 million men in the United States (although some argue that number could be as high as 30 million) are effected by erectile dysfunction.

That's a whole lot of heartache.

The report -- which was recently published in the American Journal of Medicine (www.elsevier.com) -- says that the problem of ED (erectile dysfunction) is particularly acute among men with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and those who don't get enough exercise.

Lead researcher Elizabeth Selvin -- quoted in the AJM - remarked that "...the association of erectile dysfunction with diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors can serve as a powerful motivator for men I who diet and lifestyle changes are really indicated..."

According to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), for every 1,000 men in the United States, 7.7 physician office visits were made for ED in 1985. By 1999, that rate had nearly tripled to 22.3. By 2006, that number was closer to 25.

Fortunately, Selvin went on to say that ED and sexual functions in general could be controlled if one "...treats existing risk factors and does things to control not only diabetes but high blood pressure and cholesterol..."