An overview of erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED), or the consistent inability to attain or maintain sufficient penile erection or rigidity to satisfactorily engage in sexual intercourse, is a common disorder that often has an organic basis. A problem for an estimated 30 million American men, ED increases with age, affecting an estimated 5% of men by age 40 and almost 15% by age 70. A number of therapies for ED exist, the newest of which is sildenafil. The availability of sildenafil is creating a shift in practice patterns, moving treatment of ED away from urologists and toward primary care physicians, who now write some 55% of all prescriptions for sildenafil. Because ED may be a symptom of some serious underlying medical illness, such as diabetes, hypertension, or vascular disease, treating it may have an impact on a man's overall health.