Exercise Provides Help for Erectile Dysfunction
For men affected by erectile dysfunction (ED), help may be a workout away, say researchers reporting at the American Heart Association Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.
A major new study of American men suggests regular exercise and a healthy diet may help limit ED and the heart disease that often accompanies it.
"Lifestyle intervention, such as exercise and diet, may be effective treatment for ED," says study author Elizabeth Selvin, Ph.D., a research fellow at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
"This is the first study with national data on the prevalence of ED in the United States," says Dr. Selvin.
"ED varies by age, with 5 percent of men aged 20 to 40 having ED, to 70 percent of men age 70 and older," she notes. In fact, the study suggests that about 18 million American men are affected by ED.
ED is especially prevalent among men with high blood pressure, diabetes, and other cardiovascular risk factors, explains Dr. Selvin.
Her team collected data on ED from more than 2,200 adult men, all participants in the 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a federal study.
"The results suggest that in men with ED, screening for cardiac risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension may be warranted," notes Dr. Selvin.
"The converse [is also true], that screening for ED in men with hypertension or diabetes should be considered,” says Dr. Selvin.
In fact, she says, "we found ED in 50 percent of men with type 2 diabetes."
Dr. Selvin says that "couch potato" men were much more likely to develop erectile difficulties, suggesting that getting off the couch and getting active might help fight the problem.
"The association of ED with cardiovascular risk factors may be a powerful motivator for men for whom diet and lifestyle changes are indicated," says Dr. Selvin.
One expert sees a direct connection between ED and risk factors for heart disease.
"Diabetes and hypertension are common in the general population, so it should come as no surprise that they are also common in a population of patients who suffer from ED," says Dr. Arthur Schwartzbard, director of Clinical Lipid Research at New York University's Lipid Treatment and Research Center.
In fact, estimates from surveys very similar to NHANES have suggested that a constellation of risk factors, called the "metabolic syndrome," is present in almost half of middle-aged adults in the US, says Dr. Schwartzbard.
Metabolic syndrome is characterized by insulin resistance, obesity, high blood pressure, glucose intolerance, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood levels of small, dense LDL cholesterol particles.
"Screening for risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes should be done in all patients, not just those with ED," says Dr. Schwartzbard, who is also director of noninvasive cardiology and an assistant professor of medicine at NYU School of Medicine.
"Lifestyle modifications such as exercise and weight loss for patients with the metabolic syndrome have been shown to prevent almost two-thirds of new-onset diabetes cases,” he says.
Increasing physical activity, weight loss, and control of high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes can also reduce the incidence of heart attacks and strokes, Dr. Schwartzbard remarks, so "I would expect that such overall lifestyle changes could have a positive impact on the incidence of ED in the US."
Always consult your physician for more information.
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American Heart Association
American Urological Association
CDC on Men's Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH 4Women.Gov on Men's Health
National Library of Medicine
National Weight Control Registry
US Surgeon General
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While losing weight is difficult for many people, it is even more challenging to keep weight off.
Eighty percent to 85 percent of those who lose a large amount of weight regain it.
One theory about regaining lost weight is that people who decrease their caloric intake to lose weight experience a drop in their metabolic rate, making it increasingly difficult to lose weight over a period of months.
A lower metabolic rate may also make it easier to regain weight after a more normal diet is resumed. For these reasons, extremely low calorie diets and rapid weight loss are discouraged.
Losing no more than one to two pounds per week is recommended. Incorporating long-term lifestyle changes will increase the chance of successful long-term weight loss.
Weight loss to a healthy weight for a person’s height can promote health benefits such as lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, less stress on bones and joints, and less work for the heart.
Thus, it is vital to maintain weight loss to obtain health benefits over a lifetime.
Keeping extra weight off requires effort and commitment, just as losing weight does.
Weight loss goals are reached by changes in diet, eating habits, exercise, and, in extreme circumstances, surgery.
The strategies that encourage weight loss also play an important role in maintenance.
Support systems used effectively during weight loss can contribute to weight maintenance.
A study conducted by the National Weight Control Registry found people who lost weight and continued bi-monthly support group meetings for one year maintained their full weight loss.
Study participants who did not attend support group meetings regained almost half of the weight.
Physical activity plays a vital role in maintaining weight loss. Studies show that even exercise that is not rigorous, such as walking and using stairs, has a positive effect.
Activity that uses 1,500 to 2,000 calories per week is recommended for maintaining weight loss.
Diet and exercise are vital strategies for losing and maintaining weight.
A study by the National Weight Control Registry found that nearly all of 784 study participants who had lost at least 30 pounds, and had maintained that loss for one year or longer, used diet and exercise to not only lose weight, but also to maintain weight loss.
Once the desired weight has been reached, the gradual addition of about 200 calories of healthy, low-fat food to daily intake may be attempted for one week to see if weight loss continues.
If weight loss does continue, additional calories of healthy foods may be added to the daily diet until the right balance of calories to maintain the desired weight has been determined. It may take some time and record keeping to determine how adjusting food intake and exercise levels affect weight.
Continuing to use behavioral strategies can help maintain weight. Be aware of eating as a response to stress and use exercise, activity, or meditation to cope instead of eating.
A return to old habits does not mean failure. Paying renewed attention to dietary choices and exercise can help sustain behaviors that maintain weight loss.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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