Can cigarette smoking lead to impotence?

Answer 1

WARNING:
SMOKING CAUSES MALE
SEXUAL IMPOTENCE


Smoking and Male Sexual Problems

CONTENTS:

Summary
Mechanisms of Erectile Dysfunction
Evidence
Views of Specialists
What Should Be Done
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
View the press release
Send a virtual Postcard

Summary:

Smoking and Erectile Dysfunction in Men

Terms
Impotence, or penile erectile dysfunction, is the repeated inability to have or maintain an erection. The condition affects roughly 1 in 10 men between the ages of 21 and 75 - that's about two million men in the UK alone. In up to 75% of cases, the cause is physical.



50% Increased Risk in Smokers
Smoking increases the risk of erectile dysfunction by around 50% for men in their 30s and 40s. Diabetes, high cholesterol levels and drugs used to treat high blood pressure are also important risk factors.



120,000 UK Men in their 30s and 40s impotent due to smoking
On the basis of these risks and the prevalence of smoking in the UK, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the British Medical Association (BMA) estimate that up to 120,000 UK men in their 30s and 40s are impotent as a direct consequence of smoking. This figure is likely to be an underestimate, because it does not include impotence due to previous smoking in men who no longer smoke.



Mechanisms
During an erection, large quantities of blood flow, under pressure, into the penile arteries. This causes the veins which drain the penis to become compressed, so preventing the immediate outflow of blood. This process is significantly impaired by smoking.

Less blood flows into the penis if the inflow route is blocked by long term build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries (atherosclerosis) caused, in part, by smoking.


Rapid contractions in penile tissue, a direct an immediate result of nicotine stimulation in the brain, restrict arterial blood flow into the penis. This is known as acute vasospasm.


The valve mechanism that traps blood in the penis is impaired as a result of nicotine in the blood stream. This is known as venous dilation.

Mechanisms of Penile Erectile Dysfunction
Other impacts
The damage caused by smoking to male sexual health also includes:

Reduced volume of ejaculate
Lowered sperm count
Abnormal sperm shape
Impaired sperm motility


Prospects for recovery
Smoking is a major and avoidable hazard for sexual health. Given that two of the three main side effects of smoking on erectile function are acute responses to nicotine, then immediate improvements on stopping smoking are possible.


88% Smokers Unaware of Risks
Polling undertaken by MORI for ASH in March 1999 reveals that only 12% of smokers (13% men, 11% women) name smoking as a cause of male impotence.

What should be done?
Labels on cigarette packs and other tobacco products should contain warnings about the threat to men's sexual health. A new European Union Directive will soon replace the existing Directive (89/622/EEC) which specifies the current warnings. Cigarettes sold in Thailand now carry impotence warnings, and the idea is also under consideration in Hong Kong.


New warnings on packs
The following warnings should be added to approved list of warnings that can be specified in the new Directive:

WARNING: SMOKING CAUSES MALE SEXUAL IMPOTENCE
WARNING: SMOKING DAMAGES SPERM

WARNING: SMOKING MAY DAMAGE YOUR SEX-LIFE





Part 1. Evidence

Impotence defined
Impotence, or penile erectile dysfunction, is the consistent or recurrent inability to attain and maintain an erection. Studies suggest that around 74% of all cases are attributable to physical causes.1


Who suffers?
A major study in the US found that one in every 13 US men between 20 and 39 is impotent. This number increases with age to roughly 1 in 10 men across the whole adult population.2 - that's the equivalent of two million men in the UK alone.3


Causes of impotence
Impotence is associated with a range of conditions including high cholesterol levels, drugs used to treat high blood pressure and diabetes, however there is strong evidence to demonstrate that the effects of all physical factors are made worse by smoking.4


Blood flow is the main problem...
Circulatory or vascular problems are the most common physical cause of impotence. These affect the normal flow if blood into and out of the penis, resulting in lowered blood pressure in the penile arteries. Smoking inhibits sexual function in three ways:


...inadequate blood in-flow
Over 20% of impotent smokers have evidence of abnormally low penile blood pressure (PBI)5: This decreases inflow of blood to the penis. Low BPI is often caused by atherosclerosis (build up of fatty deposits) in the pudendal and common penile arteries, thought to be the result of arterial lesions caused in part by smoking.6 A study of a group of smokers with an average age of 35 years showed that cigarette smoking was closely associated with atherosclerosis in the internal and main arteries supplying the penis. 7 For every 'pack year' 8 a smoker increases the risk of atherosclerosis of these arteries by 2-3%.9

Further reductions in blood flow can result from acute vasoconstriction or vasospasm within the penile arteries as a direct result of nicotine intake.10


...excessive blood out-flow
Excessive venous outflow from the penis can reduce the time an erection is maintained. One study showed that nicotine in the blood stream encourages the venous chamber to dilate. This impairs the valve or veno-occlusive mechanism by which blood is trapped in the penis. Excessive blood outflow from the penis can also be related to other factors including insufficient relaxation of the penile muscular tissue, which can be caused by anxiety.


Smoking and general vascular disease
Cigarette smoke contains some 4,000 chemicals. Several of these are implicated in damage to the vascular (circulatory) system, including carbon monoxide, nicotine11 and 1,3-butadiene12. The ultimate consequence of this is a toll of 40,300 premature deaths every year in the UK due to heart and circulation diseases.13 Damage to the arteries and veins supplying the penis, is simply a manifestation of systemic arterial damage.


Smoking amplifies other impotence risks
Evidence suggests that cigarette smoking significantly increases other risk factors for impotence. A study of 1,290 men who had received treatment for impotence in Massachusetts, USA14, showed that smokers were over twice as likely to become impotent as non-smokers - 56% compared with 21%. Cigarette smoking was also associated with a significantly greater likelihood of complete impotence in men with high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease and arthritis. Smoking does not therefore, merely add to other risk factors, but compounds them.15


Impotence as an early warning
There is compelling evidence to suggest impotence indicates more serious underlying vascular problems. Damage to the small blood vessels of the penis manifested as erectile dysfunction may offer an early warning signal that a smoker is risking serious damage to the main arteries in the heart. In this way the penis is acting as a 'canary', signaling a more serious threat to the heart and general circulatory system.


Smoking increases impotence risk by 50%
There are various estimates of the relative risk of impotence among smokers and non-smokers. A study of 4,462 Vietnam War veterans between the ages of 31 and 49 showed an 80% increase in the risk of impotence among smokers compared with men who had never smoked.16 Even when adjusted for several other confounding factors,17 the findings showed a 50% increased risk.


More smokers at impotence clinics
Among 178 patients attending an impotence clinic in the USA, the number of current smokers and ex-smokers (82%) was significantly higher than would be expected among men in the general population (58%).18 In each group, and at all levels of tobacco use, impotent patients smoked more then would have been expected from population estimates. Only 19% of these patients had never smoked compared with 42% in the general population.
The same study showed that the average PBI was lower among patients who had smoked than among those who had not. A significantly higher proportion (20.9%) of impotent patients with a history of smoking had abnormally low BPI compared with patients who had never smoked. The findings also suggested an association between length of smoking habit and abnormally low BPI.



120,000 UK men in their 30s and 40s impotent due to smoking
On the basis of the increased risk faced by smokers, the known rates of smoking among men, and reported levels of impotence in the UK, ASH and the BMA estimate that around 120,000 UK men in their 30s and 40s are needlessly impotent as a result of smoking. Although both smokers and non-smokers can become impotent, these represent additional cases directly attributable to smoking and no other cause. The calculation is outlined in Appendix 1: Calculation of smoking attributable impotence.


Low level of awareness among smokers
A poll commissioned by ASH and undertaken by MORI in March 1999 shows a low level of awareness of the risk of impotence arising from smoking.19 The survey shows that a substantial 88% majority of smokers (87% of men and 89% of women) do not name smoking as a cause of impotence. Even when prompted with a list of possible factors including smoking, over two-thirds (67%) do not identify smoking as a risk (65% of men and 70% of women).
ASH and the BMA believe that the low level of awareness among smokers makes a compelling case for new warnings on packets of cigarettes and other tobacco products.



Smoking also affects other areas of men's sexual health
Medical research links smoking with other areas of male sexual health, including reduced volume of ejaculate, lowered sperm count, abnormal sperm shape and impaired sperm motility20,21,22. Smoking is also linked to pyospermia, a condition manifested in swollen testes with excess white blood cells (pus) present in ejaculate.23




Part 2: Views of specialists

Not only does smoking reduce life expectancy, but also the quality of life. Smokers with impotence usually suffer in silence with the knowledge that the condition was totally preventable.
David. J. Ralph BSc Ms FRCS (Urol)
Institute of Urology
University College, London


It is now clear that smokers are more likely to develop impotence in just the same way that they develop heart disease - if they can stop smoking, there is every chance that they will prolong normal sexual function.
Ian Eardley
Consultant Urologist
St. James Hospital, Leeds.


It seems to me that we have a serious case of "smokers droop" on our hands.
Dr. Ian banks
Chair UK Men's Health Forum
Medical Editor: Men's Health magazine


There is clear evidence to suggest that those individuals who smoke heavily are at increased risk of erectile dysfunction. This is probably the result of smoking on small blood vessels, but there could also be a direct action on the smooth muscle within the penis.
Roger Kirby
Consultant Urologist
St. George's Hospital, London.


Men's erection problems are not only a problem for them, they are very real problem for women too. Women often reach their sexual peak at a later age than men do, by which time the cumulative effects of smoking can have started to affect their men's ability to get an erection. This can cause deep distress, and is sometimes enough of a problem to cause women to look elsewhere. If men realised how smoking affects their performance, I'm sure many more would find the determination to give up.
Deidre Saunders
Sun Newspaper Problem Page


Tobacco consumption produces immediate and long-term effects on erections that are sometimes dramatic. Giving up smoking often leads to improvement. It is surprising that impotence is not cited more often as a persuasive reason for giving up smoking".
Alain Gregoire: ABC Of Sexual Health
British Medical Journal24


Just as cigarettes damage your heart, every cigarette you smoke reduces the volume of blood flow to the penis. In many cases this damage cannot be reversed and the result is impotence. Young men think they are invincible, but as long as they carry on smoking, the damage is getting worse.
Professor Alan Riley
Former-Chairman Impotence Association of Great Britain


There are three main risk factors for impotence. They are smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Mr. John Pryor
Male Infertility and Erectile Dysfunction Unit,
University College Hospital, London.
President Elect, European Society for Impotence Research


What you have to understand is that the penile arteries are tiny arteries -- about a third that of a coronary artery -- so it's not unusual for people to have erection problems preceding any other vascular problem, whether it be heart attacks or strokes.
Dr. John Mulhall, Director, Center for Sexual Health,
Loyola University Medical Center, United States


We are finding that erectile dysfunctional or impotence may be a precursor or an indicator of oncoming cardiovascular disease, so rather than dismissing it as just simply normal aging and nothing to get alarmed about, we're beginning to take this very, very seriously.
Dr. John McKinlay,
New England Research Institute, United States25

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Yes it does. Impotence is caused by different factors, and it includes cigarette smoking. So aside from diseases that may cause impotence, lifestyle plays a big role too. As much as possible, do not smoke and do not drink alcohol. We all know how it is bad for our health. Impotence medications are prescribed by licensed physicians. A trusted online pharmacy such as www.treated.com is where you can purchase erectile dysfunction medications at a lower price compared to other pharmacies. Don't worry because these are genuine branded medications. You can see for yourself. However, make sure though that you are indeed diagnosed with erectile dysfunction or impotence before purchasing your medication.

Answer 4

Smoking Can Lead to Erectile Dysfunction

March 6, 2003 -- Guys, if some of you wonder what's wrong in the bedroom, here's a clue. If you want to smoke in the bedroom, quit smoking. New research adds to the evidence that smoking may be a major cause of erectile dysfunction.


A study looking at the impact smoking has on a man's ability to get an erection was reported today at the American Heart Association's annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention being held in Miami.


"This is not the first study to document an association between cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction," says researcher Jiang He, MD, PhD, an epidemiologist with Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, in a news release. But this study is unique in that it looks at other factors associated with erectile dysfunction - also known as impotence -- and was able to adjust for these factors, he says.


Both smoking and erectile dysfunction have often been associated -- individually -- with plaque build-up in the arteries, called atherosclerosis. The plaque obstructs blood flow through vessels, causing a host of circulatory problems throughout the body, such as erectile dysfunction.


In this study, researchers examined data on 4,764 Chinese men -- average age 47 -- who completed a health survey. Smoking history and quality of sexual relations were among the questions.


Among the findings:


Men who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily had a 60% higher risk of erectile dysfunction, compared to men who never smoked.
15% of the past and present smokers had experienced erectile dysfunction.
Men who currently - and formerly -- smoked were about 30% more likely to suffer from impotence.
Among men who had never smoked, 12% had erection problems.

It's yet another reason for smokers to kick the habit, says Robert O. Bonow, MD, AHA president, in a news release.

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/62/71479.htm

Answer 5

Yes it can it is actually advertised on packs of cigarettes here in Canada. If you consider an erection the blood flowing into the chamber of the penis well smoking causes the walls of the arteries and blood vessels to become clogged over time. So when you reduce the pressure travelling to your vital organs and other areas of the body you end up with ED or impotence. Also realize that smoking is the main reason alot of smokers increase there risks of heart disease, stroke, heart attacks and many other illnesses don't forget Cancer. So if you smoke consider that when your forty you may be popping Viagra or using a pump surgically placed in your scrotum.

Answer 6

Yes. Too much smoking can lead to Impotence.

Answer 7

a lot of reasons can cause impotence. diabetics and a lot of medication can. But to answer your question, while i am no expert ,cigarette smoking could be a cause. Here's why. Cigarette smoke constricts (narrows) blood vessels in your body. For your penis to function, it needs blood flow.

Answer 8

Among smoke side effects there also are:
circulatory diseases (pression, sclerosis, etc.)
Thus, there's more risk to get erectile dysfunctions or to become impotent as you say.
Statistically, after 50 years of age, only men in good health (not smoker) are still able to have sex with no problem!

Answer 9

Greetings. My name's Edward LeBlanc, an M.D in the field of Sexual Health. (Both Men and Women's) .. I find that in most cases, these issues can be remedied with Therapy. Generally, most ED conditions result not from blood circulation problems, but rather we often find a deeper root cause. Most cases of ED tend to be caused by performance anxiety, trust, or some other intimacy deficit occurring between you are your partner. That being said, if we do recommend anything, we only recommend natural solutions. We advise against using any narcotics for this purpose.

When using narcotics, you risk developing addiction and dependency. We always point our patients in the direction of Vydox - https://vydoxtrial.im .. Their mixture of ingredients is particularly potent where L-Argenine is concerned. L-Argenine is an amino acid, often revered as nature's most potent remedy for ED. Our office has received consistently positive feedback on it's effects. I believe they still send out a 30 Day trial supply, only asking that you cover the cost of shipping.

Regards

Answer 10

Eating lots of leafy greens, whole grains, oysters, watermelon, and blueberries (most any fruit will work, really) will help you give your body all that it needs to improve the quality of your erections, while cutting out processed foods, cigarettes and alcohol will provide further benefits. Read here https://tr.im/ErectileDysfunctionTreatments

Add in a healthy dose of exercise at least three times per week, and you’re well on your way to better sexual health!

Answer 11

Male sexual arousal is a complex process that involves the brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles and blood vessels. To solve the erectile dysfunction i suggest to check this natural method https://tr.im/sT1Ay .
Erectile dysfunction can result from a problem with any of these. Likewise, stress and mental health problems can cause or worsen erectile dysfunction. Sometimes a combination of physical and psychological issues causes erectile dysfunction. For instance, a minor physical problem that slows your sexual response may cause anxiety about maintaining an erection. The resulting anxiety can lead to or worsen erectile dysfunction.