Risk factors
That between diabetes and erectile dysfunction is a binomial known for a long time, confirmed by numerous epidemiological studies. It is the statistical data that tells us that:
- in the diabetic patient the erectile deficit is three times more frequent than in the healthy control population. The prevalence of this disorder in the diabetic population varies from 30% to 60% of subjects and increases:
- with aging:
- in case of poor glycemic control expressed by high values of glycated hemoglobin
- as the duration of the diabetic disease increases
- in case of microvascular complications and neuropathy
- in case of hypertension associated with diabetes, and taking anti-hypertensive drugs (beta blockers, methyldopa and in particular diuretics)
- if the subject is a smoker
- as alcohol consumption increases
- in the case of obesity associated with a sedentary lifestyle
- Diabetes and erectile dysfunction are so closely related that erection problems represent the onset symptom in 12% of male patients.
Causes
To explain why diabetes is so often associated with erectile dysfunction, various etiopathogenetic elements have been identified, which can complement each other:
- causes of a psychogenic nature: the awareness that diabetes is a chronic disease often associated with erectile dysfunction and other complications, can trigger performance anxiety in humans. Fear of failure during sexual intercourse is a common cause of erectile dysfunction and contributes to fueling erectile deficits of another nature
- macro-vascular alterations: in the presence of diabetes not adequately controlled by pharmacological therapies, the excess glucose binds to the wall of blood vessels making them less elastic and altering its functionality. Diabetes is often associated with atherosclerosis, which reduces the patency of large arterial vessels by limiting the flow of blood to the cavernous bodies of the penis. Atherosclerosis can also directly affect the penile arteries.
- nerve alterations and endothelial dysfunctions: the alterations of the small blood vessels that carry blood, oxygen and nutrients to the nerves, cause damage to them (neuropathy). Thus the synthesis of nitric oxide by endothelium and nerve endings is reduced (nitric oxide is the fundamental mediator of erection)
Treatment
Identifying the causes of erectile dysfunction in the diabetic is the first step in establishing a suitable treatment to give a satisfying sex life. For its part, therefore, the diabetic patient with erectile deficit should first of all seek medical attention, avoiding the spontaneous use of commonly used drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Beyond the additional risks deriving from a possible supply through channels other than the pharmacy, considering that among diabetics there are common complications affecting the heart, liver and kidneys, which among other things require specific therapies with possible drug interaction, the drugs used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (such as Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra) could be contraindicated in the presence of diabetes. We therefore advise you to consult your doctor to establish the nature of this unpleasant sexual problem and to remedy it through the numerous medical and pharmacological treatments available.
