How widespread is impotence

Statistical distribution of impotence: Conflicting statistical results

Statistical data on the distribution of impotence are generally regarded with caution. This is evident by the very fact that the results of various studies on this issue differ significantly in some cases. And this is likely to be a matter of more than the deferring definitions given to impotence. Presumably a fact that weighs much heavier is that impotence – understood as persistent erectile dysfunction and correctly referred to as erectile dysfunction in medical jargon- is still a social taboo. This is why people wrongly keep their affliction a secret. Therefore, please consider the following information as what it is intended to be, namely orientative.

Millions of men suffer from impotence

It is generally believed that more than half of all men aged between 40 and 70 occasionally have more or less pronounced erectile problems. As many as 1 in 10 men suffer from erectile dysfunction in the narrower sense of the word. It follows that the number of people affected would evidently be in the hundreds of millions. A study written in 2000 by Catherine B. Johannes and other scientists comes to the conclusion that in the US alone, in the case of white males in the 40 to 69 age group, more than 617,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed with erectile dysfunction every year.

Statistical factors that affect potency

Statistically, impotence is correlated with the “age“ variable. The older a man is, the more likely it is that he is suffering from erectile dysfunction. For example, the so-called ” Massachusetts Male Aging Study ” shows that 5% of 40-year-old men suffer from impotence, whereas 70 -year-olds are three times more likely to be afflicted with it. British studies come to the conclusion that nationally, within the age group of 20 to 29 years, only one in 15 men have erectile dysfunction problems, but 77.5% of over 75-year olds are likely to have it. This relationship is likely to be due, among other things, to the fact that the human body produces those substances that are important for the preservation of potency more ineffectively with advancing age. If these are then not supplied by external sources- such as the amino acids arginine and ornithine contained in suitable food supplements – the risk for impotence is increased.

Scientific studies have identified diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and a low level of education as other significant risk factors for erectile dysfunction. In addition, nearly 100 active ingredients that cause erectile dysfunction as an unwanted side effect, or increase the risk of developing it, are contained in various medications.

Overall, the residents of wealthy countries seem to be more frequently affected by erectile dysfunction. This is not only because the people here tend to be older than in poorer countries, but also because they have better access to medicines that may cause corresponding side effects. Additionally, the fact that they tend to use alcohol and tobacco frequently is likely to play a role. Finally, several studies have shown that both the excessive consumption of alcohol and smoking significantly increase the risk of impotence.

All in all, physical causes outweigh any others in the case of erectile dysfunction. Nevertheless, impotence has been shown to be generated in at least one of three or four cases – depending on the chosen study – by psychological reasons.