Erectile Dysfunction and Undiagnosed Diabetes, Hypertension, and Hypercholesterolemia

Erectile dysfunction has a major role in health and sexuality. High cholesterol level in the body poses some health risk, chiefly among them is erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is the inability to maintain an erection for a satisfactory sexual encounter. Erectile dysfunction could possibly result from some medications such as beta blocker, thiazides and some antidepressant and possibly from stress. Although erectile dysfunction is treatable, it causes stress on relationship and other psychological problems.

Erectile dysfunction is a predictor of diabetes mellitus, the early treatment of diabetes can prevent major cardiovascular complications. The early treatment also reduces the effect on erectile dysfunction as the blood vessels involve in maintaining erection are not damaged. Age related erectile dysfunction might be considered as secondary, as this usually occurs after a period of once normal satisfactory sexual life. The presence of either erectile dysfunction or diabetes creates an opportunity for early as both mostly occur together.

Blood pressure is an indicator of healthy life style. High blood pressure can damage veins and arteries necessary for supplying blood to maintain erection. Erectile dysfunction is often an indicator for early screening/ treatment for hypertension. The risk factors of hypertension includes obesity, family history and alcoholism. The symptoms of hypertension are headache, vision problem and fatigue. In the article, 19.4% of men had undiagnosed hypertension compared with 9.3% without erectile dysfunction. The high prevalence of hypertension in erectile dysfunction patients provides window of opportunity about educating patients to make life styles changes necessary for a healthy life.

Hypercholesterolemia result from excess of cholesterol in the body. Erectile dysfunction can result from defective endothelial function and increases in oxidative stress. (Musicki, et al., 2010). The desired cholesterol level in the body should be below 200mg/dL in order to prevent complications from high cholesterol. The self-reporting approach used in the design of this experiment may lead to underreporting of erectile dysfunction because it is a sensitive subject and not many men are prepared to discuss it.

Reference.
Musicki, B., Liu, T., Lagoda, G. A., Strong, T. D., Sezen, S. F., Johnson, J. M., Burnett, A. L. (2010). Hypercholesterolemia-induced erectile dysfunction; endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) uncoupling in the mouse penis by NAD(P) oxidase. Journal of sexual medicine. 2010 Sept: 7(9) 3023-3032. Retrieved September 29, 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20626609

Competing interests: None declared