Risk of erectile dysfunction after prostate cancer
June 27th, 2009 Posted in prostate cancer risksRisk for erectile dysfunction (ED) after prostate cancer treatment is commonly assumed to be a reason why many men avoid being tested for their risk for prostate cancer. Whether that is really true or not is actually not well understood.
The authors of a study targeting men under 75 years of age and living in the Washington, report that the probability of ED in a prostate cancer screening population increases in a nonlinear fashion with age. They note that this finding is “consistent with the findings of previous reports.”
They also point out a more significant male health risk issue, which is that there is a strong association between ED and cardiovascular disease. Given this risk, the lack of any normal contact with a primary care physician probably presents a greater risk to the health of these men than prostate cancer.