What causes erectile dysfunction-and what are the risk factors?
Other health conditions can cause erectile dysfunction. Any disorder that interferes with the physical sequence of events needed to produce an erection may cause ED-particularly any condition that affects the flow of blood to the penis during sexual stimulation. Some of the health conditions commonly associated with erectile dysfunction include: • High blood pressure • Heart disease-sometimes called “cardiovascular” disease • Diabetes • Depression As they age, men often notice that it takes longer to get an erection, that their erection may not get as hard as it used to, or that it takes longer to climax. These normal changes related to aging should not be confused with erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is not an inevitable part of aging – it is highly treatable. Some medicines can cause erectile dysfunction. About 25% of erectile dysfunction cases are caused by medicines used to treat other health problems. These include some of the medicines used to treat high blood pressure