Erectile dysfunction affects 30-50% of men between 40 and 70 years old. You can blame age, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and smoking for most cases. Psychological issues account for about 20% of them. Find out what other medical conditions and lifestyle habits can contribute to erectile dysfunction. It is important to identify and treat these conditions to better manage your symptoms.

Address the Underlying Problem

1 — Atrial fibrillation

Diagnosis Life summary:
A meta-analysis and systemic review of 5 studies in International Journal of Urology (https://doi.org/10.1111/iju.13725) included nearly 28,000 men with atrial fibrillation. The overall prevalence of erectile dysfunction in this group was 57%.

2 — Depression

Diagnosis Life summary:
It’s a chicken and the egg scenario. A meta-analysis and systematic review of 49 studies in The Journal of Sexual Medicine (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2018.05.016) showed a strong link between depression and erectile dysfunction. People who had depression were 39% more likely to have ED and people with ED were 3 times more likely to develop depression. The individual studies had anywhere from 60 to 101,685 participants but removing any one study from the analysis did not significantly change the results.

3 — Diabetes

Diagnosis Life summary:
A meta-analysis and systematic review of 145 studies in Diabetes Medicine (https://doi.org/10.1111/dme.13403) included 88,577 men with diabetes. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction was 52.5% (37.5% for type 1 diabetes and 66.3% for type 2 diabetes). Overall, men with diabetes were 3.5 times more likely to have ED than men who did not have the condition. It is one of the many reasons diabetes prevention is so important.

4 — Marijuana use

Diagnosis Life summary:
A meta-analysis and systematic review of 5 studies in American Journal of Men’s Health (https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988319892464) included 3,395 men, 1,035 of whom smoked marijuana. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction in cannabis users was twice that of non-users, 69.1% vs. 34.7%.

5 — Obstructive sleep apnea

Diagnosis Life summary:
A meta-analysis and systematic review of 38 studies in International Journal of Impotence Research (https://doi.org10.1038/s41443-018-0017-7) assessed men who were evaluated in sleep clinics. Some of the studies were qualitative, others quantitative. Some noted a strong association between sleep apnea and ED while others did not. Regardless, the pooled data shows that men who did not have sleep apnea were likely to have a much lower incidence of erectile dysfunction than those who did. Since low testosterone is also associated with sleep apnea, this is not surprising.

6 — Periodontal disease

Diagnosis Life summary:
A systematic review of 9 studies in American Journal of Men’s Health (https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988316639050) looked to see if chronic periodontal disease was associated with ED. The studies varied in size, including anywhere from 53 to 513,258 participants. Altogether, the odds of erectile dysfunction were 1.5 to 3.3 times higher for men with periodontal disease. Take care of those teeth!

7 — Prostate cancer

Diagnosis Life summary:
Prostate cancer in and of itself may not directly cause erectile dysfunction but many treatments for it can. A study in World Journal of Men’s Health (https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.2012.30.2.99) reviewed the effects of prostatectomy and hormonal treatments used to treat the condition and how they affect sexual function. With that on mind, it is important to discuss concerns with your doctor as you decide on your treatment options.