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Erectile Dysfunction Living with Erectile Dysfunction

Men: How to Keep Sex Alive In Spite of Diabetes

Men with diabetes face many difficulties, but few problems are more frustrating than erectile dysfunction, especially for younger men. Although stress and other factors can interfere with a healthy sex life, diabetes counters the physical reactions that lead to erections. Indeed, about half of all men who have diabetes suffer from erectile dysfunction, and the problem can be more severe and less responsive to treatment than what men with impotence generally experience.

Why Diabetes Leads to Dysfunction
Diabetes is linked to many abnormalities, but two key disruptions are directly responsible for erectile dysfunction, says Ira D. Sharlip, MD, an assistant clinical professor of urology at the University of California, San Francisco The first is neuropathy, which damages the nerves throughout the body, including those to the penis. Even if men are emotionally aroused, the nerve damage may interfere with the natural reflex that causes erections.

The second problem relates to blood vessels narrowing, a common occurrence with diabetes. In addition to causing other complications, such as heart disease, a lack of good circulation means that not enough blood can flow in and out of the penis. Added together, these effects of diabetes make it especially difficult for men to achieve or maintain an erection.

Taking a Chance on Change
Fortunately, there are many steps that men with diabetes can take to prevent and potentially overcome erectile dysfunction. Sharlip says that the same advice for managing your diabetes applies to bolstering your sexual function. "Control your weight, control your cholesterol, control your blood pressure, and don't smoke," he says. Such lifestyle changes can lead to better sugar control and improve complications of diabetes, including the development of erectile problems. But Sharlip cautions whether such steps can completely reverse erectile dysfunction on their own. "It's very tempting to think that the control of those risk factors would reverse erectile dysfunction," he says. "But there are no studies yet which prove that's the case."

One study has shown that heavy men who lost 40 or more pounds ended up with a slightly better sex life. Although the men were not diabetic, many men with diabetes are obese, suggesting that weight loss might help. Researchers from Italy followed 110 men with erectile dysfunction who were significantly overweight for their height. After two years, the men who exercised and lost weight reported a greater physical ability to have sex compared to men who remained heavy.

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