In a new study from NYU and Johns Hopkins University, researchers found men between 20 and 65 years of age who use e-cigarettes daily are 2.4 times likely to report erectile dysfunction (ED).
They say that many people use e-cigarettes as a form of smoking harm reduction or to help them with smoking cessation.
Researchers need to fully investigate the link between vaping products and erectile dysfunction, and potential implications for men’s sexual health.
In the study, the research team used data from 13,711 males, 20 years and older, who responded to a question regarding ED.
Almost half of the participants were former cigarette smokers, 21% were current cigarette smokers, and 14% used other tobacco products.
Compared to those who never used e-cigarettes, daily users were more than two times more likely to report having ED.
There was a strong association between e-cigarettes use and ED among respondents aged 20 to 65 with normal Body Mass Index and without heart disease, suggesting an association of ED with e-cigarettes use among a relatively healthy population.
The next phase of the research will be to better understand if certain types of e-cigarettes have a stronger association with ED than others, and whether reported ED could be reversible with discontinuing their use.
Since this study only examines men, future research should also examine the association between ENDS use and sexual dysfunction among women.
The study is published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. One author of the study is Omar El Shahawy, MD, Ph.D., MPH.
Copyright © 2021 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
