Erectile dysfunction (ED) becomes more common with increasing age, but younger men can also experience problems obtaining an erection. According to a 2016 study in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, about 8% of men diagnosed with ED are younger than 40. Like older men, you’re more likely to develop ED if you have another medical condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or depression.
Younger men can experience ED due to a combination of physical and psychological factors, according to a 2017 article in Translational Andrology and Urology. Men who are overweight and don’t exercise could have low levels of testosterone that could cause ED. Depression and anxiety can cause ED, and ED can exacerbate depression and anxiety if a man’s self-image is tied to his sexual performance.
Although it might be embarrassing to talk to your doctor about ED, it’s important to determine the cause of your condition. An occasional problem obtaining an erection could be due to alcohol or stress, but ED could be a warning sign of cardiovascular disease.
Erectile dysfunction is often a vascular problem
The most common type of ED is vascular ED, which is due to a blockage or damage to the blood vessels of the penis. This could indicate a larger problem with your cardiovascular system. “The arteries in the penis are the smallest, so we can see the beginning of arterial hardening and heart disease in the penis before we see it in the coronary arteries or the heart,” said Urologist Charles Walker, M.D., who was formerly at Yale Medicine. “So if you’re a younger man who is going to have a heart attack in your 50s or 60s, we’re going to see it in the penis first.”
A 2013 review in the Arab Journal of Urology said that the link between ED and cardiovascular disease is so strong that men with ED are considered cardiac or vascular patients until cardiovascular disease risk is ruled out. Similarly, men with cardiovascular disease are asked about their erectile function. Among men with asymptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD), two-thirds of them reported having ED. ED can also be a predictor of a heart attack or stroke. You could take medications like Viagra to treat your ED, but you also might need to make some lifestyle changes to improve your cardiovascular health, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking.
Other causes of ED in younger men
If your doctor rules out cardiovascular disease or psychological disorders, your ED could also be caused by neurological conditions. Unlike vascular ED, which is caused by blockages in your blood vessels, neurogenic ED is caused by problems in your nerve pathways. Up to 19% of ED cases are neurogenic, according to a 2016 article in Translational Andrology and Urology. Nerves from your penis and other parts of your body send signals to your brain to control blood flow and muscle contractions in your penis. Spinal cord injuries, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease are just some of the neurological conditions that could lead to neurogenic ED.
ED in men in their 30s can also be linked to medications or lifestyle. Antidepressants, tranquilizers, appetite suppressants, and ulcer medications could have ED as a side effect. Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and illegal drug use could also cause ED. You should avoid taking ED medications such as Viagra if you don’t have ED. Taking Viagra if you don’t have ED can cause you to lose confidence in your ability to have an erection on your own, according to a 2012 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.