A recent large-scale study conducted by the University of Exeter and the University of Oxford found that genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes was linked to erectile dysfunction.

Researchers also found that living a healthier lifestyle may help reduce the risk of developing erectile dysfunction.

The study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, was conducted with more than 220,000 men and utilized cutting-edge genetic analysis. 

“Erective dysfunction affects at least one in five men over the age of 60,” says co-lead author Dr. Anna Murray, of the University of Exeter Medical School. “Up until now little has been known about its cause.

“Our paper echoes recent findings that the cause can be genetic, and it goes further. We found that a genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes is linked to erectile dysfunction. That may mean that if people can reduce their risk of diabetes through healthier lifestyles, they may also avoid developing erectile dysfunction.”

According to Healthline, the connection between diabetes and ED is related to circulation and the nervous system. Poorly controlled blood sugar levels can damage small blood vessels and nerves. Damage to the nerves that control sexual stimulation and response can impede a man’s ability to achieve an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse. Reduced blood flow from damaged blood vessels can also contribute to ED.

Men who have diabetes are two to three times more likely to develop ED. When men aged 45 and under develop ED, it may be a sign of type 2 diabetes.  

Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90 percent of diabetes cases, often develops as a result of being overweight or inactive. Approximately 30 million Americans have diabetes and about half of them are men.

The Boston University Medical Center reports that about half the men who are diagnosed with diabetes will develop ED within five to 10 years of their diagnosis. If those men also have heart disease, their odds of becoming impotent are even greater.