Is Thyroid Disease Causing Your Erectile Dysfunction?
by Karen Barrow
The potential causes of erectile dysfunction
are many and vary widely from heart disease to emotional disorders,
but researchers are finding that one common cause is often overlooked.
There seems to be strong connection between various
thyroid disorders and erectile dysfunction. Since thyroid disease
can affect as many as one in ten men over the age of 60, this
may mean that many of those dealing with erectile dysfunction
and its related problems may have a reasonably simple disease
to treat.
The thyroid is a small gland
located near the bottom of the neck. And while it is tiny, it
secretes various hormones that have some level of control over
many organs of the body.
Two of the most common thyroid disorders found
in men are hyperthyroidism, or when the thyroid is over productive,
and hypothyroidism, when the thyroid is under productive. Both
conditions may have some connection to erectile dysfunction.
“Erectile dysfunction is a frequent finding
in patients affected by thyroid disease, be it patients with hypothyroidism
or hyperthyroidism,” writes Dr. A. Veronelli in the International
Journal of Impotence Research.
In one recent study, researchers from the University
of Modena, Italy, looked at almost 50 adult men who had hyperthyroidism
or hypothyroidism. Each man was given a questionnaire to answer
about their sexual function and were then asked more directly
about erectile dysfunction and related problems by a doctor.
Ultimately, it was determined that over 63 percent
of the men with hypothyroidism were diagnosed with low sexual
desire, premature ejaculation and delayed ejaculation. Among the
men with hyperthyroidism, 50 percent were diagnosed with premature
ejaculation, 17 percent with low sexual desire and 15 percent
with erectile dysfunction.
All of the men in the study were then treated
for their thyroid disease. Among the men with hypothyroidism,
the incidence of premature ejaculation dropped from 50 percent
to 15 percent. And the low sexual desire and delayed ejaculation
disappeared in most of the men.
Once the men with hyperthyroidism were treated,
almost all saw their symptoms of erectile dysfunction disappear.
“We demonstrated for the first time that
specific sexual disorders occur frequently in males with hypo-
and hyper- thyroid function and that most of these symptoms revert
promptly as [the thyroid disease is treated],” write the
study authors in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
The relationship between the thyroid and erectile
dysfunction is not yet clear, but since thyroid diseases, as well
as erectile dysfunction, are much more common among men over 60,
these findings suggest that aging may not play as big a role as
previously believed.
In fact, a related study by Veronelli and colleagues,
compared the rates of erectile dysfunction among healthy, older
men and those with diabetes or a thyroid disease. While diabetes
was more often the cause of erectile dysfunction than thyroid
disease, this study did determine that thyroid problems are more
often the cause of sexual dysfunction than simple aging.
“Thyroid problems are more important than
the aging process,” in trying to diagnose the cause of erectile
dysfunction, write the authors.
Medically Reviewed On: October 10, 2006
About the Author
Karen Barrow is a copyeditor/writer for Healthology. Previously,
Karen has written for the New York Sun, Science World, Super Science
and The Jewish Week. She obtained a master's degree in biomedical
journalism from New York University and a bachelor's degree in
biology from Cornell University.
Erectile Dysfunction
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