Erectile Dysfunction: The Inevitability That Comes With Aging?

A study conducted about ten years ago on the American population showed that most men, with age, will face the problem of erectile dysfunction.

It shows that the sexual functions of men drastically decrease after the age of fifty.

Erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve and maintain an erection, to the extent that it jeopardizes the sexual pleasure of both partners.

Erectile dysfunction was once thought to be the responsibility of psychological factors or to be a natural component of aging.

Today, urologists agree that physiological factors are found in 90% of cases of persistent erectile dysfunction in men older than 50 years.

The study, published in the August 2003 issue of the “Annals of Internal Medicine”, surveyed more than 31,000 respondents aged 53 to 90 about their sexual functions.

They rated their sexual performance in the previous three months, and those who continuously gave themselves low grades were rated as subjects with erectile dysfunction.

Researchers have also addressed other factors such as age, physical activity, alcohol and tobacco consumption – factors that are now known to have an impact on erectile (dys) function.

Aging as a significant factor

The results of the mentioned study showed that age plays a key role in the appearance of erectile dysfunction: the older men are, the more often they report the appearance of reduced sexual power.

Also, younger men were drastically less likely to rate their sexual performance as weak or unsatisfactory.

The majority of young men (more precisely, 74%) rated their sexual functions as good or very good, and only 10% of men over the age of 80 did the same.

Only 12% of young men reported major or moderate problems.

However, from a quarter to a third of men over the age of 50 say they face a significant drop in sexual power.

– 2% of respondents first encountered ED before the age of 40
– 4% of respondents first experienced ED between the ages of 40 and 49
– 26% of respondents first experienced ED between the ages of 50 and 59
– 40% of respondents first experienced ED between the ages of 60 and 69

Erectile Dysfunction – Prevent or Treat?

The same study showed that a healthy lifestyle and lack of chronic diseases are important for reducing the risk of erectile dysfunction.

The largest difference was observed between the ages of 65 and 79 years.

For example, men who exercise at least three times a week are 30% less likely to experience erectile dysfunction than those who exercise less or do not exercise at all.

Obesity, smoking and the lifestyle of spending hours in front of the TV are also associated with a higher risk of erectile dysfunction.

The implications that erectile dysfunction has for a man’s life are great: in addition to affecting the satisfaction in a relationship and marriage, it can also have a very negative effect on self-confidence.

In addition, it is a topic that is accompanied by social stigma.

Precisely for all the above reasons, it is important to get acquainted with the factors that contribute to it and cause it, so that it can be prevented, and where necessary – treated.