Sleep Apnea and Erectile Dysfunction

A correlation has been found between erectile dysfunction and sleep apnea -- also known as sleep disordered breathing (SDB).

A recent article in Urology Today states:

"Since the majority of physicians who treat ED are unlikely to have expertise in SDB, and similarly those who treat SDB generally have little expertise in diagnosing or treating ED, it is the opinion of the authors that the potential impact each of these conditions may have on the other has been greatly underestimated. This review article attempts to alert physicians of the interaction between two apparently different disorders and give a more unified approach of ED and SDB."

Vasculogenic, neurogenic, hormonal, and psychogenic pathways as well as the effects of drugs and others factors play important roles in the development of ED and recent studies suggest that ED as a result of sleep apnea might involve the nitric oxide synthase and phosphodiesterase- mediated pathways targeting by tadalafil and other similar products.

Going forward, it's theorized that the treatment of SDB might also aid in the reversal of erectile dysfunction.

Does Andropause Exist? (And Does it Cause ED?)

The term andropause is quite controversial.

As used in the media, the term refers to the gradual loss of testosterone in aging men as it corresponds to the process of menopause in aging women. However, many are skeptical as to whether andropause even exists, and medical authorities agree the term can be very misleading. According to Wikipedia:

Andropause (or male menopause) is a rather misleading word, and a controversial concept. The word is sometimes used to describe a supposed medical phenomenon in middle-aged men...

The term andropause is a misleading choice of terminology (as is the term "male menopause"), because it suggests an equivalence with menopause, a complete and permanent physiological shutting down of the reproductive system, which occurs only in women.

Unlike the term menopause, the word "andropause" is not currently recognized by the World Health Organization and its ICD-10 medical classification.

Whether you take any stock in the concept of andropause or not is more or less irrelevant if you're suffering from erectile dysfunction. In most cases, the cause of ED has very little to do with testosterone levels and can be treated effectively without taking hormones into consideration. In other cases testosterone issues are a mere secondary cause of erectile dysfunction and must be addressed in conjunction with a primary ED line of treatment.

Women's Libido Can Be An Issue Too

We stumbled across an article in psychology today recently, titled "5 Shocking Stats About Men and Sex." Besides containing some all-around solid information about topics like how often a man thinks about sex and the unreliability of penis-size surveys, the article also contained an interesting nugget about the nature of the female libido. Said the article:

"...As it turns out, the instant a woman enters a secure relationship, her sex drive begins to plummet. Four years in, a German study found, fewer than half of women wanted regular sex. And after 20 years, only 20 percent did. Among men, libido held steady no matter how long they'd been in the relationship. Researchers provide an evolutionary explanation—women's sex drive is initially high to facilitate pair bonding."

The takeaway? While it's incredibly important for men to seek help for decreased libido generally and erectile dysfunction specifically, the woman also has a part to play in the equation -- especially in a committed relationship -- and might consider seeking help as well.