Alcohol consumption and erectile dysfunction: meta-analysis of population-based studi

PubMed

Alcohol is long regarded as a risk factor for erectile dysfunction (ED), but epidemiological evidence has been equivocal. We aimed to investigate the ED risk associated with various levels of alcohol consumption by meta-analysis. We searched for population-based studies on ED through Medline, PubMed, PsychInfo, and scanned through reference lists. Eleven cross-sectional studies were included and analyzed with random effects model. We reviewed the results from one cross-sectional study and two cohort studies. Regular alcohol consumption was negatively associated with ED (odds ratio (OR)=0.79; 99% confidence interval (CI), 0.67-0.92; P<0.001). Consumption of 8 or more drinks/week significantly reduced the risk of ED (OR=0.85; 99% CI, 0.73-0.99; P=0.007), but consumption of less alcohol (1-7 drinks/week) was not significant (OR=0.73; 99% CI, 0.44, 1.20; P=0.101). Begg’s test and Egger’s test detected no significant publication bias. Our estimates (in sensitivity analyses) were rendered nonsignificant when International Index of Erectile Function definition was used and when statistical adjustment was made only for age. Meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies yielded a protective association of alcohol on ED, but the two cohort studies did not demonstrate any significant findings for alcohol consumption. More research is needed to confirm whether alcohol is protective or is unrelated to ED development.

I’m not totally sure I interpreted all that scientific-ese correctly. But I think, in English, it said “Woohoo, party on!”

Please correct me if I have erred in translation.

Seriously, it stands to reason (IMHO) that if you can relax with a few drinks, any psychologically-induced ED might be less-so. Once you get to the whiskey-dick stage, you are not fucked.

Where can I sign up to be part of the study? :)

This is not about short term alcohol induced erectile dysfunction (whiskey dick).

It does show (with the limitations of the meta analysis) that regular drinking seems to have a protective effect on erectile function.

“Consumption of 8 or more drinks/week significantly reduced the risk of ED”.

Be good to see studies on higher ranges of drinking, but they don’t happen often, probably due to health concerns for the participants.

I should be fine into my 90’s then.