Erectile Dysfunction Overview

Defined as the chronic inability to achieve or sustain the erection, its prevalence varies across age group.

In general, 35% ca of men aged 60 and 50% ca of men older than 70 is affected by such a dysfunction; more in particular, in Asian samples its prevalence appears to increase in a linear way, with half of all men reporting some level of male dysfunction by age 50. Moreover, in men with some diseases, prevalence estimates are higher, becoming as high as 75% in men with chronic kidney disease.

Even if it is a common male sexual dysfunction during aging, erectile dysfunction is not a natural part of getting older. Men should tell their doctor they have erectile dysfunction, not only because it could be a sign of some health problem (such as blood vessels clogging or nerve damage) but also because it could severely compromise man’s quality of life and his partner’s mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.

Figure: erectile dysfunction prevalence by age group