Can E-Cigarette Use Lead to an Increased Risk of ED?

Smoking cigarettes has been a common phenomenon for years, but now we have new ways to get our nicotine fix. The latest nicotine trend to impact our society is the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or more commonly known as e-cigarettes or vapes. As e-cigarettes become increasingly popular amongst men specifically, it has raised concerns over its potential impact on men’s sexual health. Recently, a discovery has revealed that the use of e-cigarettes is associated with an increase in erectile dysfunction.

A Growing Concern

According to a recent study, 1 in 5 men over the age of 20 years old in the United States are affected by ED. Concerned that this figure would grow with the increased use of e-cigarettes, many researchers have decided it is time to figure out if vaping really is associated with ED. Omar El-Shahawy, MD, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor in the department of population health at NYU Langone Health, stated, “Given that many people use e-cigarettes as a form of smoking harm reduction or to help them with smoking cessation, we need to fully investigate the relationship between vaping products and erectile dysfunction, and potential implications for men’s sexual health”.

Smoking Habits of the Participants of the Study

El-Shahawy was right to be concerned. With a team of researchers, he conducted a study to determine if the use of e-cigarettes is, in fact, associated with an increased risk of ED. He did this by asking participants to respond to a question about their smoking habits, and one about erectile dysfunction. He wanted to determine if factors like age or previous smoking experience had an effect on developing ED. This study included a total of 13,711 men over the age of 20 years old, with 11,207 of them having no previous history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The data gathered from the overall sample is shown below:

53% of the participants were former cigarette smokers
21% were current cigarette smokers
14% used other tobacco products
4.8% were current e-cigarette smokers
2.1% smoked e-cigarettes daily

From the sample of men that had no previous history of CVD, 4.7% of them were current e-cigarette smokers, and 2.5% of them smoked e-cigarettes daily.

Results

The results of this study showed that 20.7% of the overall participants and 10.2% of the no CVD sample reported having ED. More specifically, the results revealed that daily e-cigarette users were significantly more likely to develop ED compared to the participants who did not smoke, both in the overall sample and the sample of men without history of CVD.

In terms of age group, the overall sample of participants who were over the age of 65 years old and had a history of CVD were more likely to report having ED compared to the no CVD sample of men. From this, researchers surveyed a link between physical activity and a lower risk of ED. However, the relation between e-cigarette usage and ED among men younger than 65 years old without any prior CVD was a cause for concern. This showed that using e-cigarettes can lead to a higher risk of ED, regardless of age or healthy lifestyle.

Precision Calgary Can Help

While this study helped to uncover an association between e-cigarette use and ED, there is still more research that needs to be done. As vaping continues to rise in popularity amongst men, there is a possibility that it could lead to other men’s sexual health problems that have yet to be discovered.

At Precision Calgary, we offer the latest treatments for erectile dysfunction, as well as for other men’s sexual health concerns.

Can E-Cigarette Use Lead to an Increased Risk of ED?

A Growing Concern

Smoking Habits of the Participants of the Study

Results

Precision Calgary Can Help

Because sexual wellness is an integral part of your health and happiness.

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