The medicated men have a higher risk of impotence

It is known that men with chronic health problems such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol are more likely to develop erectile dysfunction (ED) than healthy men the same age.

But researchers who studied 37,700 men in a large health plan in California found that those who drank three or more drugs had higher rates of ED, according to findings published in the British Journal of Urology International.

"The data suggest that some characteristics of men with multiple medications may predispose them to suffer," said researcher Steven Jacobsen, Department of Research and Evaluation Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

Overall, 16 percent of men who drank no more than two drugs showed moderate, which means that they sometimes had problems getting or maintaining an erection. That compares to 20 percent of men who consumed three to five drugs, 25 percent of men with six to nine drugs and 31 percent of those who drank at least 10 drugs.

It is not surprising that ED was more common in older men, weight, smoking or had health problems like diabetes or hypertension. But even when researchers took into account that, having multiple medications was still linked with increased risk of ED.

The findings were based on questionnaires given to 37,712 men between 45 and 69 years. Overall, 29 percent reported suffering from moderate or severe erectile dysfunction.

More than half of the men used drugs over the last three years. As expected, men with high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes or depression tended to take more drugs.

Men who drank three to five drugs were 15 percent more likely to suffer than those with less medication, while the probability was doubled among those men who used 10 or more medications.

But the findings do not indicate that drugs themselves are to blame, said Jacobsen.

"We try to control underlying conditions, but we could not take fully into account aspects such as gravity," he told Reuters Health in an email.

But he also said that it was possible, for example, that drugs could contribute to a worsening of ED through interactions with other drugs, although there was no way to know for sure from the findings.

Jacobsen added that although men with erectile dysfunction should not stop taking your medication without first talking to your doctor, could call for a possible reduction of dose or try an alternative treatment.