A daily dose of vitamin D could prevent men suffering erectile dysfunction the torture of impotence, experts have said.Vitamin D deficiency has emerged as a risk factor in a range of condition, from diabetes to high blood pressure, and heart disease.Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins University believe low levels of the 'sunshine' vitamin could also fuel erectile dysfunction.Their findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association, revealed a great prevalence of impotence among men with vitamin D deficiency. Men who were found to have low levels of vitamin D were 32 per cent more likely to suffer erectile dysfunction, a new study by researchers at John Hopkins University foundDr Erin Michos, a preventative cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins, said: 'Vitamin D deficiency is easy to screen for and simple to correct with lifestyle changes that include exercise, dietary changes, vitamin supplementation and modest sunlight exposure.
'Checking vitamin D levels may turn out to be a useful tool to gauge ED risk.'The most relevant clinical question then becomes whether correcting the deficiency could reduce risk and help restore erectile dysfunction.'Dr Michos and her colleagues do however note, their findings are observational and more research is needed to determine whether the deficiency can cause or directly contribute to ED.They note that if their results are affirmed in subsequent studies, vitamin D deficiency may become a clinical marker and a possible therapeutic target for ED. Both erectile dysfunction and deficiency are individual markers of heightened cardiovascular risk so researchers say the new findings underscore the system-wide effects that vitamin D has on vascular function throughout the body, including vessels that feed cardiac and genital tissues.Dr Michos and her team analysed the records of more than 3,400 men aged 20 and older, who participated in a national Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, from 2001 to 2004.None of the men had overt heart disease, 30 per cent were vitamin D deficient and 16 per cent reported symptoms of erectile dysfunction.
Vitamin D deficiency, defined as vitamin D levels below 20 nanograms per milliliter of blood, was present in 35 per cent of men with erectile dysfunction, compared with 29 per cent without symptoms of impotence.Those men with vitamin D deficiency were 32 per cent more likely to have erectile dysfunction than men with adequate vitamin D levels.Researchers said that was the case even after they accounted for other factors commonly known to lead to impotence, including certain medications, alcohol use, smoking, diabetes, inflammation and high blood pressure. Erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection of sexual intercourse, and affects 40 per cent of men over the age of 40, and 70 per cent of men aged 70 and olderErectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve or maintain erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse.It affects around 40 per cent of men older than 40 and 70 per cent of those over the age of 70, researchers said.Vitamin D deficiency affects as many as 40 per cent of adult Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Risk factors for the deficiency include being obese or overweight, limited outdoor activity, having darker skin and suffering from certain inflammatory conditions, such as diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease.The Institute of Medicine recommends cumulative daily vitamin D intake of 600 international units for adults between 18 and 70 years of age, and 800 international units for those over 80. Vitamin D supplementation is typically reserved only for those with documented deficiency, defined as blood levels below 20 ng/ml. Natural Remedies for Erectile Dysfunction Take the Impotence (ED) Quiz Unzip Your Sex Life William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine.
He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology. For centuries, men have tried all sorts of natural remedies for erectile dysfunction (ED) -- the repeated inability to get or maintain an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. But do they really work? It is simply not scientifically known at this point. Furthermore, you take these remedies at your own risk, because their safety profiles have not been established. What follows are commentaries by experts and reviews in the field of alternative treatments that are available over the counter for erectile dysfunction and impotence.
Causes of erectile dysfunction (impotence) "Just because there is evidence doesn't mean it's good evidence," says Andrew McCullough, MD, associate professor of clinical urology at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City, and one of the original clinical investigators for the ED drug Viagra (sildenafil). "And before men with ED start down the naturopathic route, it's smart to make sure that there isn't some underlying medical condition that needs to be corrected." Moreover, it is estimated that 30 million American men have erectile dysfunction, and 70% of cases are a result of a potentially deadly condition like atherosclerosis, kidney disease, vascular disease, neurological disease, or diabetes. Additionally, ED can also be caused by certain medications, surgical injury, and psychological problems.Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 1An estimated 20 to 30 million American men suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED), a term used to signify the inability to attain or maintain erection of the penis sufficient to permit satisfactory sexual intercourse.
New data from the University of Milan indicates that low levels of vitamin D can be a significant factor in leading to ED. ED may be due to organic or psychogenic factors. In the overwhelming majority of cases the cause is organic, i.e., it is due to some physiological dysfunction. In fact, in men over the age of 50, organic causes are responsible for erectile dysfunction in over 90% of cases. The most common organic cause is atherosclerosis of the penile artery. Atherosclerosis refers to a process of hardening the artery walls due to a buildup of plaque containing cholesterol, fatty material, and cellular debris. The process of atherosclerosis occurs systemically throughout the body, not just the arteries supplying the heart or penis. Patients with diseased coronary arteries are much more likely to have erectile dysfunction compared to individuals without coronary disease and vice versa. Hence, factors that prevent atherosclerosis also prevent ED. In addition to vitamin D’s well-known role in bone and calcium metabolism, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a long-list of health conditions including atherosclerosis.
Vitamin D is critical to the proper functioning of the endothelial cells that line blood vessels. Without sufficient levels of vitamin D, these endothelial cells become more susceptible to damage and dysfunction that ultimately can lead to the development of atherosclerosis as well as arterial calcification. Given the link between vitamin D and atherosclerosis, Italian researchers conducted a study in 143 men with ED. The men were evaluated for penile atherosclerosis by ultrasound along with blood levels for vitamin D3. Fifty men were classified as suffering from atherosclerotic ED, 28 borderline ED and 65 non- atherosclerotic ED. The average vitamin D level was 21.3 ng/mL and 45.9% of the men had vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/ml). Only 20.2% had vitamin D levels greater than 30 ng/ml. The results showed that most men with ED have low vitamin D levels and those with more severe ED had significantly lower vitamin D levels than those with mild ED. Vitamin D deficiency was also worse in those with ED due to penile atherosclerosis than in those men with ED due to other factors.
These results indicate that low levels of vitamin D3 are linked to ED and indicate that vitamin D3 levels should be measured in men with ED. Establishing optimal blood levels of D3 may lead to better endothelial function and reduce/prevent ED. Often men do not really care much about their health until it affects their sex life. This study should serve as motivation to take steps to improve endothelial cell function. These cells play a role in erectile function by forming nitric oxide. Drugs like Viagra and Cialis increase nitric oxide production by these cells. In addition to vitamin D3, other factors that improve endothelial function include the Mediterranean diet; dark chocolate and other sources of flavonoids including pomegranates, green tea, red wine, grape seed extract, and legumes; In addition, the amino acids arginine and citrulline increase the formation of nitric oxide within blood vessels. As it relates to ED, by increasing nitric oxide levels, arginine supplementation may improve blood flow to erectile tissue.