HealthDay News is reporting a story saying that erectile dysfunction could be an indicator of testosterone deficiency and the metabolic syndrome, a set of factors that may indicate an increased risk of heart and vascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

My Take?

We’ve known for years that obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, and erectile difficulties are all interconnected.
I join the author of this study in recommending that ALL men with erectile dysfunction be evaluated for testosterone deficiency and any underlying signs of the metabolic syndrome (using waist circumference, a fasting blood sugar, fasting lipid profile, and several resting blood pressure readings).
Men with ED should NEVER just be given a prescription for an ED drug.
In this study of 771 men seeking treatment for ED:
• 18.3% had previously undetected testosterone deficiency.
• 35% had type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
• 31% had high blood pressure.
• 21% had abnormal cholesterol or triglycerides.
• 14% had varying degrees of coronary heart disease.