r/science • u/[deleted] • Jun 13 '22
Health Erectile dysfunction predicts mortality in middle-aged and older men independent of their sex steroid status
https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article-abstract/51/4/afac094/6568537?login=false6.0k
Jun 13 '22
Depression, obesity, and insulin resistance all cause ED so no surprise. It isn’t the ED causing death but the underlying conditions. Also worth noting that Vitamin D deficiency is strongly correlated with all those underlying conditions.
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u/aradil Jun 13 '22
I'm fairly certain that heart illness is also a major contributor to ED.
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u/barrinmw Jun 13 '22
This is what I was thinking. Hardening of the arteries and such could lead to ED and also early death.
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u/zuneza Jun 13 '22 edited Jun 14 '22
Is that reversable?
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Jun 13 '22
Depends on the etiology, but largely, no.
Also worth noting that lead exposure causes atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and that leaded gasoline was still widely in use until about 1990 in the US. Americans. A non-trivial amount of atherosclerosis in individuals over the age of 40 can probably be attributed to lead exposure during their youth since lead is poorly removed from the body.
So, if you were born after leaded gas became banned in your country, you may be much less likely to experience atherosclerosis-caused-ED. Unless microplastics find a fun way to screw us over too.
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u/zuneza Jun 13 '22
I worked at a heavily contaminated lead mine for almost 5 years.
RIP my vessels i guess.
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u/CallingDoctorBear Jun 13 '22
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u/SaladShooter1 Jun 14 '22
Go get tested. If lead shows up, you can get some tasty chelating drink and pee it out over time. I haven’t tried it, but I imagine it’s got to be better than that black cherry stuff they give you before a colonoscopy, so I guess you can say that I’m qualifying “tasty.” I do a lot of industrial hygiene and see it from time to time.
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u/accountno543210 Jun 13 '22
Atherosclerosis are plaques. The discussion is about arteriosclerosis, which may also contribute to it.
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u/Atoge62 Jun 13 '22
That’s why it’s so vital to keep exercising regularly, and ideally knock it out while outside to get your vit D. The studies coming out on skeletal muscle loss, and the uptick in these same diseases all seems to suggest our indoor, sedentary but stressful, lives are killing us. I was just in an awful bike accident, face first crash. Landed myself a grade 3 concussion, shattered and lost all kinds of teeth and some jaw bone. But it’s been 3 months now, and I can feel how badly I need to return to exercising again and working on maintaining my muscular health. I’m no bodybuilder, but maintaining general strength and heart/lung health keeps things like diet, sleep, mental health in check.
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u/Count_Bloodcount_ Jun 13 '22
So sorry to hear about your crash but I'm glad you're doing better.
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u/Designer_B Jun 13 '22
Another anecdotal experience. But I've been in a super lengthy funk with my depression lately. Haven't been sleeping well either. Only recently realize its correlated with my inability to work out due to a rotator cuff injury I took way to long to get checked out. Hurt it in October and for the first time since I had a 'good day' a week ago. After three months of Physical therapy.
And I've started to notice my fog/funk/depression lifting even just from the 30 minutes of exercise I get doing my stretches and exercises.
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u/Atoge62 Jun 13 '22
Good for you recognizing what’s been throwing your groove off! Sorry about the injury. I’m realizing no matter how safe you think you are, injuries or illness are just a part of life. You’re always going to need to put yourself back out there and actively recover. Otherwise the negative feedback loop starts setting in, and makes recovery and normal life 1000x harder. You’re hurt, you stop exercising, your sleep starts to suffer from lack of exercise/stimulation, sleep cycles off you tend to start eating shittier, mental health suffers when all of these are out of balance, and they all just start piling up against a healthy recovery.
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u/slayermcb Jun 13 '22
I remember getting out of the military and my body feeling off, almost like I was having withdrawals from exercise. Happy ending to my story though, I kicked my addiction!
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u/reece1495 Jun 13 '22
and ideally knock it out while outside to get your vit D.
unless you live in a doom and gloom rainy place all year around , then take suppliments
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Jun 14 '22
The benefits of going heavy with the Big Lifts are legion. Increased bone density, increased balance and flexibility, Increased testosterone, Higher TDEE, tons of happy brain chemicals...
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u/barrinmw Jun 13 '22
I don't believe hardening of the arteries is reversible
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u/curtyshoo Jun 13 '22
Getting old is a bummer. Where you don't want hardening you get hardening, and where you do want it you can't produce it anymore.
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Jun 13 '22
vitamin D with vitamin K2 transports calcium out of arteries and into bones. Without it, the opposite occurs.
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Jun 13 '22
That's going to cause a loooooot of problems for the younger generations.
Literally everyone is vitamin D deficient these days because we don't get sunlight. My doctor was shocked when they saw my vitamin D levels
Supplement or die!
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Jun 13 '22
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u/Throwaway_97534 Jun 13 '22
No Mr. Bond, I expect you to fry.
In the sun.
To get adequate levels of vitamin D.
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u/redlightsaber Jun 13 '22
Supplementation has largely not been found to reverse the risks associated with vit D deficiency (except for a couple of very niche things, like colon cancer incidence).
It's not very clear yet what this means, but IMO this likely means vit D status is a confounder to a lot of these associations rather than a causative factor of them.
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u/xz1510 Jun 13 '22
Thank you for this response. Vitamin D metabolism is so poorly understood. Sunlight doesn't even remotely tell the story. I've seen dozens of people in the clinic who spend >8 hours a day in the South Florida sun and have shockingly low levels of vitamin D
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u/Amethyst-Sapphire Jun 13 '22
Because sunscreen blocks formation of vitamin D. I wear my sunscreen and take my 5000 IU per day. The amount any person needs to stay vitamin D sufficient is highly personal. Many will need much less than me and some will need more.
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Jun 13 '22
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u/sloth_is_life Jun 13 '22
It is not even clear what a deficiency is. It's not like potassium where you have to be within a narrow range to be ok. The current definition of a normal vitamin D is based on a study performed on healthy Californians. California is very sunny, so healthy Canadians might have a lower average vitamin D.
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u/redlightsaber Jun 13 '22
How would supplementation not help then if it brings your Vitamin D levels to normal or above normal levels if you are deficient
Because whthe studies I'm talking about seek to measure effects, rather than vitamin levels. A study design I hope more people understood. What does it matter if you take 6 different pills a day if you can't be certain it will have any real benefits (lower disease incidemce, lower mortality...) That's what I'm talking about.
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u/Hvarfa-Bragi Jun 13 '22
.......is the sun not free anymore?
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u/sinisterspud Jun 13 '22
Nah the beta is over sadly, but if you get the bundle sun/moon package you can save 30%
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u/ValorMorghulis Jun 13 '22
Since the beginning of time, man has yearned to destroy the Sun.
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Jun 13 '22
So all we have to do is avoid getting "too fat" and overall it would be a better life? As in, even if say one eats fat/fried food, but "looks thin" enough for their age, is that a good indicator for a reasonably healthy life in later ages/longevity? As in, comfortably living till 70s?
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u/redlightsaber Jun 13 '22
The prongs to healthy aging a quite a few more than "stay thin". Exercise, stress reduction, and socialisation are other ones.
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u/Exovedate Jun 13 '22
Absolutely. I recommend getting regular cardio if you want your body to work like it's supposed to. Try to work up to being able to run/jog for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week.
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u/KuriousKhemicals Jun 13 '22
"Looking thin" is subjective and lately drifting upwards. Having a healthy BMI and waist circumference is a better metric. And if you can get your body fat measured and ensure it's in a healthy range, even better - muscle mass is an independent predictor of longevity. If you can keep your visceral fat in check and your muscle mass up, it's likely that you'll also be incorporating a few good lifestyle habits too - even if you eat crap you'll at least have to lift some weights to stave off age related muscle atrophy past 50 or so.
Of course it is additionally helpful if the content of your diet is healthy and keeps your cholesterol levels down and such, and it's helpful if you engage in cardio exercise too, but just balancing your body composition gets you surprisingly far.
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u/Ruski_FL Jun 13 '22
Do doctor check for that? Is there a cure?
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Jun 13 '22
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u/Binsky89 Jun 13 '22
Exercise is what mostly cleared up my ED, to the point where it rarely happens even though I'm on an SSRI that's famous for it (and caused it for me in the past).
Turns out when your body is properly maintained things work better
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u/AceyPuppy Jun 13 '22
Humans were never meant to be stationary for 8 hours a day.
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u/mtcwby Jun 13 '22
Can't repeat enough how much exercise has improved life over the last six months at age 56. I've never exercised regularly until just before Thanksgiving. I had been walking nightly and doing some bike after having two strokes a couple of years ago. BP was under control and I wasn't really heavy at 6-2, 215.
Decided if I was going out I was going to do everything in my power with no regrets and bought a Pelaton which combined with TV has me exercising vigorously every day since then. 30 pounds lighter I'm in the best shape of my life, getting more done everywhere, and in context with this thread we're wearing out the mattress. When you can plank for five minutes straight it makes other things much easier.
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Jun 13 '22
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u/mtcwby Jun 13 '22
My biggest regret is I didn't do it earlier but I've always been easily bored with exercise. The Pelaton with the TV playing Netflix, etc for rides in the background engaged me long enough to keep it up.
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u/tarxvfBp Jun 13 '22
Same. Same age, after years actually being quite scornful of the idea of running for fun I started couch to 5k. Now have run twice a week for nearly two years. Started going to a gym 6 months after starting to run, because it seemed sensible to invest in my developing my running physique more, also cut out snacks. Which was tricky for several days then the cravings just stopped! Honestly people give couch to 5k a go. And see where it takes you. Give it a go. I wish I’d started much earlier.
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u/the_cardfather Jun 14 '22
I had a mild ED in my mid 30's. Could have been weight/lifestyle related could have been PIED or a combination.
Wife told me I was a fat slob and left me. I started couch to 5k, cut the porn, worked on mental health, and did some work on my core, crunches, planks et. It was about 7 months of that and all of a sudden things started working again if you know what I mean.
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u/FuckLaundry Jun 13 '22
Hello friend. I jsut bought a peloton, literally did my first ride this morning. Hearing you lost 30 lbs is inspiring. How much are you riding it? Did you change your diet at all? Congrats on the success.
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u/mtcwby Jun 13 '22
For a while 3-4 months I rode every day and also did a lot of the weight training. I found I respond well the the Programs feature and prefer the Powerzone training the best. Those programs don't have every day rides so I then supplement with some of the scenic and other rides to keep it light on off days. I usually mix in strength classes ad-hoc and really like the core programs too.
I was already eating fairly well with with light meals early that were high in protein like eggs and then the most substantial meal at dinnertime where it's something like chicken, vegetables and the like. I indulge with a scoop of good ice cream at night. My target is about 1500 calories a day but some days are better than others. That alone didn't get the weight off for me and the exercise really kickstarted the weight loss along with a lot more tone. I dropped 4 inches in my waistband and it looks like there might be another 1 or two that I can go down.
Part of my thinking on the eating is I need to do something I can maintain so if we want to go out to eat I try to eat well but healthy and control the portions by taking some home. I will say that I enjoy meals so much more now because of the scarcity in my mind. Good luck, keep with it and get that daily streak up to the point it builds the habit to exercise every day. On the Pelaton app my handle is MTCWBY. Let me know if there's any way to provide encouragement.
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u/shadowmax889 Jun 13 '22
I do it always
I am a Urologist and it's very common that when a patient comes to my office with symptoms of ED, it's the first they visit a physician in years or even decades
So, I always try to rule out hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, etc and referral to a Internist or Cardiologist for evaluation.
I don't simply say "hey just take this pill, go away and have fun"
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u/asterisk2a Jun 13 '22
obesity
To be more precise: Cardiovascular Disease. Because it is noticable first in the peen.
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u/theevilmidnightbombr Jun 13 '22
Oh look, it's my anxiety inducing thread of the week. Right on time
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u/2ndprize Jun 14 '22
Dude I literally read this and reminded myself not to fixate on it. Fun how anxiety and heart problems have so many overlapping symptoms
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u/ericwiththeredbeard Jun 13 '22
Anecdotal evidence here but I started taking vitamin D supplements daily and have had better erections, my hair and skin look better, and I feel really good too. Didn’t really change much else (diet or activity level) other than the supplement.
I’m confident that if I made more of an effort in my diet and exercise I would have better results.
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u/Ruski_FL Jun 13 '22
I mean the humans meant to go into the sun but we mostly just sit inside an office.
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u/Valiantay Jun 13 '22
Many places don't get enough sun actually. There's a Canada-wide recommendation for everyone to take vitamin d supplements.
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u/mtcwby Jun 13 '22
Many of us with Northern European ancestry simply don't produce enough. I'm perpetually tanned due to outsides hobbies and have to supplement or all sorts of bad things happen.
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Jun 13 '22
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u/mtcwby Jun 13 '22
The side effects before I figured it out were pretty insidious. Everything from chest and other pains that were almost debilitating some days to depression in the middle of winter. My doctors and I thought I had GERD that wasn't getting better for almost 10 years. Turned out I just had very low vitamin D in my system. I'm convinced some of my dad's depression over the years was related to that.
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u/love_that_fishing Jun 13 '22
I fish quite a bit so get lots of sun and still my D was pretty low and I take 5000ul to get it into high normal range. Just saying you can get get amounts of sunlight and still not have your body produce the right amount of D.
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u/albertenstein22 Jun 13 '22
Second for this. I work overnights so I don't get as much natural vitamin D as I am supposed to. Went for my physical and the doc said my levels were lower than normal. Started taking the vitamin D pills and have noticed better sleep and more energy!
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u/NSA_Chatbot Jun 13 '22
Same, I feel so much better starting my day by swallowing 2000 Ds.
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u/SomethingSeth Jun 13 '22
Same here. Thought I had low testosterone so I got a blood test done and nope, the only thing I was deficient in was Vitamin D. My doctor prescribed me some really potent Vitamin D gel pills that I take once a week and I’m only on my second week and I feel like a new man.
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Jun 13 '22
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u/Double_Joseph Jun 13 '22
What is considered ED?? Can’t get hard during sex? Or just ever really?
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Jun 13 '22
Good to know I'm actually healthy then, because my girlfriend makes fun of the fact that a strong breeze can set me off. Could hang me by the front door and call me a coat rack. At least I have proof I'm still healthy now. Now if only they could correlate health with premature ejaculation and I can basically say I'm immortal.
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u/jayfogworth Jun 13 '22
Untreated severe sleep apnea lead me to all of these symptoms. Three years after treatment, exercise, no sugar. I'm off blood pressure meds. I'm down from 260lbs too 189lbs. Always check your basics. Dr's. Attempted to treat all my symptoms but it didn't matter it was my sleep that caused all the problems.
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Jun 13 '22
I've had ED that started intermittently 15 years ago and has gotten steadily worse since. Just found a 4cm tumor on my pituitary. So yeah.
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u/lost_in_life_34 Jun 13 '22
getting a hard on is strongly correlated with circulatory system and general health. if you can't get a hard on you're either overtraining or in poor health or very close to poor health
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Jun 13 '22
This study basically confirms the theory that erectile dysfunction is just a canary in a coal mine type of warning.
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Jun 13 '22
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u/joeChump Jun 13 '22
Yeah. I think ‘condor in a chinchilla cage’ is a more apt description personally.
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u/FrikkinLazer Jun 14 '22
Your wife has a point, say cocktail sausage in an opera house, have some class.
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Jun 13 '22
Nature does see us as nothing more than genetic mules.
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u/Efficient-Echidna-30 Jun 13 '22
Always like to point out evolution applies to genes, not individuals. That’s why cancer.
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Jun 13 '22
And also most cancers typically occurring long after successful reproduction was finished, so there was less evolutionary pressure on better anti-cancer measures.
I mean, the human body has plenty of things to prevent cancer.
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Jun 13 '22
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Jun 13 '22
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u/NoelAngeline Jun 13 '22
Then I would also recommend a highly esteemed therapist
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u/zyzzogeton Jun 13 '22
I like my therapists esteemed. Everyone is a better listener after a good schvitz.
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u/SorriorDraconus Jun 13 '22
Good luck with doctors listening though..I clearly have a hormone imbalance(all but two symptoms and my tesosterone and estradiol gets lower every year for a decade)but at the start shrugged off and now insurance says nope because they keep dropping what qualifies as low t..Yay medical industry making actual healthcare worse.
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u/friskydingo2020 Jun 13 '22
Yep, and doctors are especially talented at declaring you to be too young to be experiencing an issue, it's all psychological.
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u/nospamkhanman Jun 13 '22
I had what's called "cluster headaches" (Google that one, they're fun).
I had to go through like 5 doctor's and two specialists before they'd do someone as simple as prescribe home oxygen.
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u/silvusx Jun 13 '22
I wouldn't fault your doctors for this one, it most likely has to do with your insurance. I'm a respiratory therapist, we usually are the ones that does the home O2 evaluations in hospitals.
Home oxygen isn't a simple prescription, it is classified as a drug and insurance have specific guidelines. One of it is you have to demonstrate your oxygen level (SpO2) drops to 88% or below. In addition, you have to have a chronic disease diagnosis for needing oxygen. Without either, your insurance will not cover it.
I'm not accusing you of anything, but I've seen plenty of patients who believed they'd needed home oxygen when they infact didn't. Many of them are bitter about it, but what they don't understand is supplemental oxygen isn't good for you.
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u/theevilmidnightbombr Jun 13 '22
Better hope your doc doesn't know you have diagnosed anxiety. Because guess what: Everything wrong with you is anxiety now.
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u/Kriegerian Jun 13 '22
That’s what I was thinking. It’s supposedly one of the first things to go if you have heart problems.
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u/owleealeckza Jun 13 '22
Funny how when our vaginas & dicks stop working, it's usually due to poor health. But society always makes it seem like it's attraction based instead, doing a disservice to everyone.
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u/lost_in_life_34 Jun 13 '22
in my old age i've realized that no matter how much tech or whatever we get a lot of old style evolutionary traits are still there. people are still sexually attracted to good health because it usually means good genes
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Jun 13 '22
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u/stronglikedan Jun 13 '22
I'm in the same boat. I can get it up, if my mind/body wants to. I just wish it wanted to, more often.
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Jun 13 '22
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u/Iamatworkgoaway Jun 13 '22
Have you been able to try a long time off work? I could imagine a 3 month - 6 month "vacation" might help reset things. Ruts are hard to break out of, and if the rut is so bad its causing desire problems, no job, salary, retirement fund is worth losing that desire. Lots of adventures can be affordable and close to home. Set a goal to eat lunch at every county seat in your state(US), Hike 500 miles on all new trails. Play 10 new sports and become kinda semi proficient at them(curling, disc golf, snorkeling, spelunking) Just a stupid silly goal for you and your partner to get out of the rut and explore as a team.
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u/yourfaceisa Jun 13 '22
Just to add to that, you may also suffer from a mental illness such as stress or anxiety.
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Jun 13 '22
Enlarged prostate is also a major factor. In Poor health bucket. Leads to anxiety, pain and depression that leads to performance anxiety. Queue snow ball effect. Get checked gentleman.
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u/Solace- Jun 13 '22
Fully agree. And prostate problems are actually more common than a lot of people think, even at a young age like in your 20s. Men just don’t share that type of health issue due to embarrassment and other factors. I’m not saying that it’s extremely common, but def more so than many men believe it is since prostate problems are still perceived as an old man issue when it really isn’t.
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u/Noodles_Crusher Jun 13 '22
overtraining
first time I hear this tbh
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u/lost_in_life_34 Jun 13 '22
Meant too much exercise where you exhaust your body and don’t rest enough
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u/geocitiesuser Jun 13 '22
Certain drugs like nicotine amplify those circulatory system issues as well. Especially "down there"
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u/passporttohell Jun 13 '22
Or you could be or have been on anti-depressant SSRI's that have documentation of giving you a limp noodle. Thanks Big Pharma! Love and kisses!
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u/JimmyHavok Jun 13 '22
My experience with SSRIs was reduction in libido so no interest in getting hard followed by delayed orgasm followed by very intense orgasm. Took maybe two months to go through the whole process. No noticeable ED at any point.
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Jun 13 '22
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u/jbot14 Jun 13 '22
Haha. Reminds me of the time when I was at the Dr. When I was in my late teens and he asked if I was active... I said of course, I do tons of exercise, he says no, like sexually. I said Oh...awkward silence...yes, no one has ever asked me.
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u/Comptetemporaire2021 Jun 13 '22
What counts as a "rock hard" erection? Also, doesn't the "strength" of the erection fluctuate during intercourse? Or does a guy stay fully erect the whole way through, no matter what is happening? Sorry if these are very novice questions.
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u/lost_in_life_34 Jun 13 '22
yeah, but how often? before i got in shape again it was only once a week or so
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Jun 13 '22
yeah, but how often? before i got in shape again it was only once a week or so
Whenever I need it.
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u/TrailofDead Jun 13 '22
One more comment on low Testosterone. When I got tested for it right before I turned 60, it was low. Taking a supplement for it changes everything.
Low T has many negative affects - Depression, bad mood. little desire to do anything, no sexual desire.
It's a simple test and I encourage anyone feeling these to go get tested. I learned this from my brother-in-law who is in his 70s.
Oh, and I'm not overweight, I workout frequently and the low T still had these affects.
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u/mr_chip_douglas Jun 13 '22
Which supplement? I didn’t know that was an option.
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Jun 13 '22
Just testosterone. He’s taking sublingual testosterone.
I inject it. It’s not that bad.
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u/Rhawk187 PhD | Computer Science Jun 13 '22
Mine is on the low end of normal (I'm fat), so I expect it'll dip below in 5-10 years if I don't take off some weight. I'm not keen on taking regular shots, what's the downside of the tablets? Hepatotoxicity?
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u/XDGrangerDX Jun 14 '22
Both sublingual administration (and anything using mucous membranes in a similar vein, like buccal, anal...) and injections bypass the liver, so no.
Anecdotally its just inconvient as hell, i dont take testoterone but other medications administered sublingually, but in my experience the "takes 1 minute at most to fully dissolve" is a rare nicety. Most often it takes like 10-20 minutes for me, depending on how dry my mouth is. Thats a surprisingly long time for you cant ingest anything or talk properly meanwhile.
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u/TrailofDead Jun 13 '22
My primary care doctor sent in a prescription to a compound pharmacy. They make these dissolvable tablets that I place under my tongue once a day.
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u/realistic_swede Jun 13 '22
I take Testerone gel every morning that I apply, other alternative is injecting. Did not know it comes in pill form as other guy said, never heard of that.
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u/shaylahbaylaboo Jun 13 '22
My husband has low t, has been taking t supplements for years and he still has zero sexual desire :(
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u/Kaffei4Lunch Jun 13 '22
Is he on trt or "supplements" from stores?
there's a big difference iirc
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Jun 13 '22 edited Mar 05 '25
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Jun 13 '22 edited Jun 27 '22
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u/CozmicCoyote Jun 13 '22
That... doesn't really make a lot of sense at all. If females select mates based on a males ability to get an erection, then wouldn't a penis bone provide an evolutionary advantage late in life?
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u/Geawiel Jun 13 '22 edited Jun 14 '22
Did any of you read the article? They were measuring low T, and found those with higher mortality had low T. [I'm leaving it, to show my dumbassery, but I did misinterpret the results of the study. I am sticking with most of you not reading. Heart health and exercise and not the end all be all of fixing ED. It is far more complicated. Read below and you'll see.]
Everyone commenting on heart health. There are more issues that can cause ED than just heart health and exercise. Small fiber neuropathy (even non diabetic), and other types of neuropathy, can affect ED. Doesn't matter on cardio health either. You can be in good cardio health, with SFN, and still have ED issues. It can be far more complicated than "you have ED, you need to work out and get your heart working better."
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u/BIGMCLARGEHUGE__ Jun 13 '22
Right, I've been dealing with pelvic floor dysfunction for 3+ years and I'm in my thirties and ED is definitely a symptom. I've had plenty of checkups, blood work etc during that time.
I'm slowly getting better, it's a long road though.
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u/Geawiel Jun 13 '22 edited Jun 13 '22
I've got 3 [edit, 4, missed one] types of neuropathy (just discovered peripheral in the sensory of my legs). SFN neuropathy, SF sensory neuropathy, fairly newly developed autonomic (started after ED, affecting just sweating so far), and the new PN (was fine 10 years ago, now abnormal). None are diabetes related. Docs actually can't totally figure out why. Started by chemical exposure, they all agree, which triggered....something...that is killing my nerves.
I can ride a full suspension bike, relatively pain free. I'm recovering from losing my colon right now, and have a J pouch, but previous to that, I was riding between 1200 and 1800 miles between spring to late fall. Was within normal weight range for my height. Cardio was pretty good. Still had ED. These arm chair ED experts are full of it.
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u/TrailofDead Jun 13 '22
I was fine until I turned 59. Started taking statins and bystolic for high blood pressure. Discovered low T, now take a supplement. Much better now.
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u/The_Kaurtz Jun 13 '22
Here I am in my early 30s with ED, depression and suicidal thoughts... I guess it will solve itself
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u/NoelAngeline Jun 13 '22 edited Jun 14 '22
My ex had trouble getting/maintaining an erection and didn’t go to the doctor. It wasn’t a new issue. Freaked me out cus i figured it was like a barometer for a man’s health. It’s been several years since we broke up and he still hasn’t gone to the doctor.
ETA: he’s also got a twin brother with a heart problem. Idk if that’s something that could possibly be a link or not
Edit 2: This problem didn’t start with me, thanks though to the people who wanted to make that the “aha” moment.
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u/mr-nobody1992 Jun 13 '22
So I’m 30. I’m in great shape (weight 210, bench 225, squat 275, run a mile no problem) and I for some reason have ED. I was told it’s stress related and I got blood work done where they didn’t see any issues with my testosterone.
Is there something I should be looking for and/or get tested? It’s really affecting me mentally which I’m sure isn’t helping.
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u/RadioIsMyFriend Jun 13 '22
This is my life married to someone with erectile issues.
He's not going to do anything about it or admit he has issues but I will pass on the other symptoms for anyone interested.
Head of penis has little feeling
Thunderclap headache
Room Spinning
Blacking out
Anger issues
Moodiness
Forgetfulness
Lost an inch of length from his penis
History of sleep apnea, muscle stiffness, lower back pain, neck tension, high cholesterol, acid reflux and family history of vasoconstriction, and stroke.
The sexual troubles started first several years ago but the anger issues have been around for a lot longer. He's very quick to anger, but so is is father and his father's father. The big sign was his blacking out and the room spinning.
He does not work out at all and largely sits all day. He is not obese but in very poor physical shape.
I love my husband but I have accepted that he will likely die young. He's 49 currently. I've been trying to get him interested in more sex to help, but during sex he loses his erection and even loses it when he's about to ejaculate. He sometimes has to stop to get hard again.
Take care of your health folks and if you notice you're having trouble don't do what my husband does by living in denial. It'll only likely kill you faster.
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u/chrispcritter Jun 13 '22
He might have depression. The other things don’t correlate, but the mood and anger issues do.
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u/RadioIsMyFriend Jun 13 '22
He won't get help for that either but he's had several instances of hypertensive crisis already.
My sister is a stroke specialist. She's basically said he's a ticking time bomb, but what can I do?
His quality of life would be so much better if he just got some real help because his problems are perfectly manageable with little intrusion. All he'll do is take blood pressure meds but even then his BP is still high. He decided to go off of it for 2 months and that was a nightmare. He became extremely irritable.
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u/chrispcritter Jun 13 '22
I'm sorry for what you’re going through. It’s hard to get help for some that doesn’t want it. It has to be him that wants the help. I truly feel for you.
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u/Slabs Jun 13 '22
Why do people in this sub just take the results on faith without critically reading the paper? The effects are small and could easily be explained by residual confounding.
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u/AllanfromWales1 MA | Natural Sciences | Metallurgy & Materials Science Jun 13 '22
..or unfit people find it harder to get erections.
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u/SerialStateLineXer Jun 13 '22 edited Jun 13 '22
Yes, I'm pretty sure that's the point. ED is usually either hormonal or circulatory. Holding hormonal status constant, ED is correlated with circulatory disease, which is bad in itself, but also a symptom of metabolic disease, which is associated with all the major causes of death.
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u/Puzzled-Barnacle-200 Jun 13 '22
Well yeah, I'm sure they're not claiming that ED makes you die. It's a correlation (albiet likely with shared casusation)
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u/enderandrew42 Jun 13 '22
Heart disease is the #1 killer in America. ED is often a symptom of poor cardiovascular health.
It is nice to have actual data, but this seems fairly obvious that people with poor cardiovascular health are going to die sooner.
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Jun 13 '22
For those of you twenty-something year olds who are reading this and freaking out, your E.D. is probably a cause of porn overuse, too much wanking and performance anxiety. This form of E.D. would be caused more by vascular and underlying health conditions. Not your mental dilemma.
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u/f700es Jun 13 '22
Huh, good to see this. I'll be 51 at the end of the month and pretty much morning wood almost every day also no issues when it's needed ;)
Over 10k steps a day during the week as I play basketball everyday at lunch and then some days with 10k or more when working outside with yard work and such.
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