How common is ED?
ED can strike any man old enough to have an erection, but it becomes increasingly common with age. Changes occur in many aspects of our physical selves as the years pass. Can you run as fast as you did at 20? Hit a baseball as far as you once could? Bash a tennis ball with the same speed and spin? Probably not. Nonetheless, there are plenty of ways to stay in the game and enjoy it. That’s as true of sex as it is of sports.
Often, erectile difficulties happen because of several health issues that become more prevalent with age. ED is also a potential side effect of many common medications, and people tend to take more drugs as they get older.
Testosterone levels naturally decline starting in midlife. While the level remains within normal limits in most men, if it drops abnormally low, it can affect libido and worsen ED. Other age-related factors also impact a man’s ability to have an erection. For example, tissues become less elastic and nerve communication slows as we age.
Differences in lifestyle help account for why some older men maintain good erectile function, while others start to have problems in their 40s. Regular physical activity, a healthy weight, and good nutrition are all associated with lower rates of ED and less severe ED over all. In part, that’s because these measures help to maintain the health of your arteries. They also help reduce chronic, low-grade inflammation and increase levels of the signaling molecule nitric oxide, which plays a key role in producing erections.
If you’re a smoker, it’s time to quit. Tobacco use is an assault on your health on multiple fronts. Smoking doubles the risk for ED. But if you quit, you have a good chance of improving erectile function.
Sexual satisfaction is possible well into older age. Research bears out that most healthy older couples can—and do—have an active sex life. According to the National Poll on Healthy Aging, sponsored by AARP and published by the University of Michigan, 40% of adults ages 65 to 80 are sexually active, and 76% said that sex is an important aspect of romantic relationships at any age.
