ABSTRACT
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is common, affecting 52% of men aged 40 to 70 years and 75% of men over 65 years of age (1), with the prevalence predicted to rise to 322 million by the year 2025, presumably reflecting an aging population (2). Regarding ED as an inevitable part of the natural aging process, however, overlooks the fact that vascular disease increases in frequency with age, and vascular disease shares the same risk factors as ED (3). Similarly, blaming ED on increasing prostatic problems with age also fails to take into account the increased likelihood of vascular disease in the population vulnerable to prostatic disease.
