Erectile Dysfunction Affects 18 Million U.S. Men

In addition, almost 90 percent of men with erectile dysfunction had at least one risk factor for heart disease, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or smoking.

"Moreover, men who are physically inactive and had high rates of sedentary behavior, such as watching three or more hours of TV per day, were much more likely to have erectile dysfunction compared with men who were physically active," Selvin said, so, "increasing exercise may be an effective non-pharmacologic treatment."

One expert agreed that erectile dysfunction is a widespread problem.

"This study reiterates what we know, that erectile dysfunction is highly prevalent in the Unites States," said Dr. Hossein Sadeghi-Nejad, director of the Center for Male Reproductive Medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center and an associate professor of urology at UMD New Jersey Medical School.

---

---

Sadeghi-Nejad believes that doctors should screen men for erectile dysfunction. "It's an important quality-of-life issue, and the factors that help prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes may help decrease erectile dysfunction," he added.

By changing lifestyle and treating underlying heart disease and diabetes, you can decrease the chances of developing erectile dysfunction, Sadeghi-Nejad said. "Erectile dysfunction is not a mandatory side effect of aging," he said. "Don't think of it as a normal process of aging."

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases can tell you more about erectile dysfunction.