(iVillage Total Health) - In addition to well-known physical causes such as cholesterol and nerve problems, depression can lead to impotence in diabetic men, a new study concludes.
Men and women who have had diabetes for many years often experience various types of sexual dysfunction. Causes include high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries and a type of nerve damage called autonomic neuropathy. Now researchers in Italy and at the University of California, Irvine report that depression is also a leading risk factor for erectile dysfunction in diabetic men.
The scientists asked 670 men with type 2 diabetes to fill out a questionnaire every six months for three years. During the study, 192 of the volunteers developed erectile dysfunction. The analysis showed that risk factors for this problem included age, severity of depressive symptoms, poor control of glucose (glycohemoglobin A1C above 8 percent), high total cholesterol, insulin therapy, smoking and neuropathy.
The men with few depressive symptoms and good control of glucose (glycohemoglobin A1C at or below 8 percent) had the lowest rate of impotence. Compared to them, men who had many depressive symptoms and were on insulin therapy were three times more likely to suffer erectile dysfunction.
The researchers concluded that psychological as well as physical problems could contribute to erectile dysfunction and that interventions could address many of these factors.
The study was reported this month in The Journal of Urology.
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