Science once again established a direct link between obesity and erectile dysfunction (ED).

As many as 30-40% of men over age 50 experience ED, and the probability increases significantly with obesity and the physical activity that typically accompanies it. In addition to atherosclerosis, the hormonal changes that accompany obesity, including lower testosterone, increase the risk of ED.

A quickie into the Science Daily archives brings out two more important facts about ED:

1) ED is an early warning sign of underlying vascular disease and diabetes. Simply states, ED is an early warning sign of a heart attack four or five years later.

2) A five-year study of 909 men, aged 55 to 75, in Finland confirms that men reporting intercourse less than once per week had twice the incidence of erectile dysfunction, compared to those reporting intercourse once per week. Further, the risk of erectile dysfunction was inversely related to the frequency of intercourse.