As a board-certified urologist who specializes in male sexual dysfunction and men’s health, I often find that people can be pretty dismissive of treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED), as though it’s entirely a recreational problem rather than a medical one. Ask people what society should care more about, erectile dysfunction or heart disease, and it’s not hard to guess what their answer will be.
But mocking or ignoring ED presents a major missed opportunity for men and for stewards of public health. ED is an early marker and predictor of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of mortality in the world. Investigating and addressing this crucial connection could be the key to saving millions of men’s lives by intervening before cardiovascular disease develops or progresses. But there continues to be significant challenges in treating ED as something more than a problem of aging men or a quality of life issue. It’s past time to view this disease from a different lens.
