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Erectile Dysfunction
ED & Diabetes
It is
estimated that about 50% of men with diabetes will experience
erectile dysfunction. Men with diabetes tend to develop ED
10 to 15 years earlier than men without diabetes. As men with
diabetes age, ED becomes even more common. Above the age of
55, the likelihood of having difficulties with an erection
occurs in approximately 70% of men with diabetes. Above age
70, there is about a 95% likelihood of having some difficulty
with erectile function.
Why
Do Men With Diabetes Have Erection Problems?
The causes
of erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes are complex and
involve impairments in nerve, blood vessel, and muscle function.
To get
an erection, men need healthy blood vessels, nerves, male
hormones, and a desire to have sex. Diabetes can damage the
blood vessels and nerves that control erection. Therefore,
even if you have normal amounts of male hormones and you have
the desire to have sex, you still may not be able to achieve
a firm erection.
What
Treatments Are Available for People With Diabetes and ED?
Men with
diabetes having trouble with achieving and/or maintaining
an erection can take oral medicine like Viagra, Cialis or
Levitra.
However,
because people with diabetes also tend to have problems with
their heart, these medications, particularly Viagra, may not
be appropriate. Talk to your doctor to determine what treatment
is best.
Additional
treatments men with diabetes might want to consider include
intracavernous injection therapy, vacuum constriction devices,
intraurethral therapy, and sex therapy.
So what
treatment is best? It depends on many factors including a
man's health and their ability to tolerate the treatment.
Have your doctor refer you to a specialist (a urologist) to
work with you and determine the best treatment for your situation.
Reviewed
by the doctors at the Glickman Urological Institute at The
Cleveland Clinic.
Edited
by Charlotte Grayson, MD, WebMD, May 2004
Portions of this page © The Cleveland Clinic 2000-2004
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