Men’s health
According to the study, e-cigarettes increase the risk of erectile problems
A man smokes an electric cigarette. According to a study, smoking e-cigarettes increases the risk of developing erectile dysfunction.
© Friso Gentsch / DPA
It is already known that smoking cigarettes is harmful to potency. But a study from the USA has now come to the conclusion: E-cigarettes can also contribute to erectile dysfunction.
“Smoking can lead to circulatory disorders and causes impotence”: This warning can be found on cigarette packaging in Germany. In fact, smokers are almost twice as likely to experience impotence as non-smokers. The risk of erectile dysfunction increases the more people smoke.
The toxins in tobacco smoke also attack the inner wall of the blood vessels (endothelium). This makes it less flexible. This, in turn, causes the blood vessels to become impaired in their ability to constrict and expand. The erectile tissue of the penis is then also affected.
But not only normal cigarettes are said to be able to cause erectile problems, but also electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes. This is the conclusion of a study from the USA that was carried out in “American Journal of Preventive Medicine” has been published. Many people turn to e-cigarettes because they consider them a healthier alternative to tobacco products.
Daily e-cigarette increases the risk
The study used data from a nationwide representative study of more than 13,000 men who gave their views on e-cigarettes. Men who smoke e-cigarettes every day are therefore more than twice as likely to have erectile dysfunction problems than men who have never smoked an e-cigarette.
The researchers write: “While the first generation of ENDS (Electronic Nicotine Delivery Devices) delivered low nicotine levels, many of the newer ENDS devices, in conjunction with the high nicotine content of e-liquid currently available, can effectively deliver higher nicotine levels than cigarettes.”
Almost half (53 percent) of the participants were former cigarette smokers, 21 percent were current cigarette smokers, and 14 percent consumed other tobacco products.
E-cigarettes: nicotine affects blood vessels
According to the study, ample evidence suggests that nicotine prevents vasodilation (widening) of blood vessels and reduces blood flow, “which affects normal erectile function and negatively affects male sexual performance.”
But the study also reports: “Those who did weekly physical activity were less likely to experience erectile dysfunction than those who did not report physical activity.” Other studies have already shown a connection between the level of nicotine in cigarettes and the likelihood of erectile dysfunction.
The scientists emphasize that this is the first population-based study to report the relationship between the use of ENDS and erectile dysfunction. However, they come to the conclusion that the use of e-cigarettes can be linked to erectile problems regardless of age and risk factor profile.
However, a long-term study of the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes is needed to clarify whether the use of ENDS is an independent risk factor for the development of erectile dysfunction, the researchers conclude.
Further sources: Deutschlandfunk Nova, www.rauchfrei-info.de