Lifestyle Modifications and Erectile Dysfunction: What Can Be Expected?
Lifestyle Modifications and Erectile Dysfunction: What Can Be Expected?
Lifestyle Modifications and Erectile Dysfunction: What Can Be Expected?
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INVITED REVIEW
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common medical disorder whose prevalence is increasing worldwide. Modifiable risk factors for ED
include smoking, lack of physical activity, wrong diets, overweight or obesity, metabolic syndrome, and excessive alcohol consumption.
Quite interestingly, all these metabolic conditions are strongly associated with a pro‑inflammatory state that results in endothelial
dysfunction by decreasing the availability of nitric oxide (NO), which is the driving force of the blood genital flow. Lifestyle and
nutrition have been recognized as central factors influencing both vascular NO production, testosterone levels, and erectile function.
Moreover, it has also been suggested that lifestyle habits that decrease low‑grade clinical inflammation may have a role in the
improvement of erectile function. In clinical trials, lifestyle modifications were effective in ameliorating ED or restoring absent ED
in people with obesity or metabolic syndrome. Therefore, promotion of healthful lifestyles would yield great benefits in reducing
the burden of sexual dysfunction. Efforts, in order to implement educative strategies for healthy lifestyle, should be addressed.
Asian Journal of Andrology (2015) 17, 5–10; doi: 10.4103/1008-682X.137687; published online: 09 September 2014
weight (5% vs 10%). Moreover, both diets significantly improved plasma the week before the meeting with a nutritionist. Men in the control
glucose, low‑density lipoprotein, sex hormone‑binding globulin, group were given general oral and written information about healthy
IIEF‑5, SDI, and endothelial function (increased flow‑mediated food choices and exercise at baseline and subsequent bimonthly visits,
dilatation, reduced soluble E‑selectin). At 52 weeks, reductions in but no specific individualized programs were offered to them. After
weight, WC, and C‑reactive protein were maintained, and IIEF‑5, 2 years, men randomized to the intervention lost significantly more
and SDI scores improved further. Similar results were obtained with weight, increased their physical activity, experienced favorable changes
bariatric surgery‑induced weight loss. In a randomized controlled in physiologic measures of endothelial dysfunction, and had significant
trial,46 surgery‑induced weight loss increased erectile function quality improvement in their ED score compared with men in the control
measured by IIEF‑5, with increased total testosterone, free testosterone, group. The same group used their database of subjects participating
follicle‑stimulating hormone, and reduced prolactin levels. Moreover, in randomized controlled trials to evaluate whether improvements in
significant improvements in all domains of the Brief Sexual Function erectile function were related to success in achieving lifestyle changes.20
Inventory, including erectile function, were also demonstrated in a After ranking men according to their success in achieving the goals of
2 years study of bariatric surgery‑induced weight loss.47 intervention (weight loss, low intake of saturated fat, high consumption
Increased visceral adiposity and related risk factors are associated of monounsaturated fat and fiber, and moderate physical activity), a
with a pro‑inflammatory state that results in a decrease in the availability strong correlation was observed between the success score and the
and activity of NO; the reduced testosterone levels associated with restoration of erectile function. Moreover, at the 2 years examination
obesity and the metabolic syndrome may worsen both insulin resistance point, the number of men without ED was significantly higher in the
and endothelial function, thereby contributing to ED.48 Moreover, body group randomized to intensive lifestyle changes compared with that
weight loss, obtained either by lifestyle or bariatric intervention, is of men in the control group. Wing et al.57 evaluated 1 year changes
associated with a decline in estrogen levels and a rise in gonadotropins in erectile function in 306 overweight men with type 2 diabetes
and testosterone, which is greater in those who lose more body weight.49 mellitus participating in the Look Action for Health in Diabetes trial;
from baseline to 1 year, 8% of men assigned to an intensive lifestyle
Dietary factors
intervention reported a worsening of erectile function compared to 22%
Dietary patterns with high content of whole grain foods and legumes
of the control participants. Moreover, the overall IIEF score improved
and vegetables and fruits, and that limit red meat, full‑fat dairy products,
from 17.3 to 18.6 (P = 0.04 and P = 0.06, after adjusting for baseline
and food and beverages high in added sugars are associated with a
differences) in the intervention group.
reduced risk of ED.50 The greater adherence to a Mediterranean‑style
The suggested mechanisms by which weight loss, healthy diet,
diet, in particular, has been associated with a lower prevalence of ED
and physical exercise can improve erectile function include the
in both diabetic and nondiabetic men.51,52
amelioration of endothelial dysfunction, insulin‑resistance, and
Only few studies assessed the role or the effect of diet on ED.
low‑grade inflammatory state associated with diabetes and metabolic
Esposito et al.53 studied 65 men with the metabolic syndrome and
diseases – all of which are risk factors for ED.58 The resulting improved
ED; 35 out of them were assigned to the intervention diet and 30 to
inflammatory status may help contribute to reduce the burden of sexual
the control diet. Subjects in the intervention group were advised to
dysfunction in men.
consume at least 250–300 g of fruits, 125–150 g of vegetables, and
25–50 g of nuts per day; in addition, they were encouraged to consume Smoking
400 g of whole grains daily (legumes, rice, maize, and wheat) and Both the direct use of tobacco and second‑hand exposure seem a
to increase the consumption of olive oil. After 2 years, men on the consolidated risk factor for ED.59,60 A recent meta‑analysis of four
Mediterranean diet consumed more fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole prospective cohort studies and four case‑control studies involving
grain, and olive oil when compared with men on the control diet. IIEF 28 586 participants showed that compared with nonsmokers, the
score increased up to 22 in 13 and 2 men in the intervention group overall odd ratio of ED in prospective cohort studies was 1.51 (95%
and control group, respectively (P = 0.015). CI: 1.34–1.71) for current smokers, and 1.29 (95% CI: 1.07–1.47) for
A substantial body of knowledge demonstrates that the abundant former smokers.61
consumption of vegetables, fruit, and whole grain, and the dietary Harte and Meston62 investigated the association between smoking
patterns rich in these foods produced a markedly lower risk of cessation and indices of physiological and subjective sexual health in
coronary disease.54 The beneficial effect of the Mediterranean diet men: smoking cessation significantly enhanced both physiological
on atherosclerosis in general, and ED in particular can be mediated and self‑reported indices of sexual health in long‑term male smokers,
through multiple biological pathways, including a reduction of irrespective of baseline erectile impairment. In a prospective study,
oxidative stress and subclinical inflammation, amelioration of Pourmand et al.63 reported a beneficial effect on erectile function in
endothelial dysfunction and insulin sensitivity,55,56 which in turn may men who ceased smoking. After 1 year the ED status improved in ≥25%
increase NO release in the penis arteries. of ex‑smokers but in none of the current smokers; moreover, men who
stopped smoking continued to have a significantly better ED status
Overall lifestyle changes
with long‑term follow‑up.
Lifestyle changes, such as increased physical activity, healthy diet, and
reduced caloric intake, have been associated with the amelioration Alcohol
of erectile function in the general male population. Esposito et al.16 The moderate consumption of alcohol may exert a protective effect
conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 110 obese men with on ED in both the general population and in diabetic men.25,64 In
ED. Men assigned to the intervention group were entered in an intensive a recent study aimed at describing the incidence or remission and
weight loss program, involving personalized dietary counseling and bio‑psychosocial predictors of ED in 810 randomly selected Australian
exercise advice, and regular meetings with a nutritionist and personal men aged 35–80, low‑alcohol consumption was predictor of ED.65 The
trainer. The dietary advice was tailored to each man on the basis of food data from a population‑based cross‑sectional study of men’s health
records collected on three nonconsecutive days which had to be done to assess the association between usual alcohol consumption and ED
in Australia revealed that among current drinkers (n = 51 374), the exposure to smoking decreases significantly both testosterone levels
odds were lowest for consumption between 1 and 20 standard drinks and the filling rate of corpora cavernosa in mice, when compared with
per week.19 On further adjustment for CVD or cigarette smoking, a control group who was not exposed.73
age‑adjusted odds of ED were reduced by 25%–30% among alcohol
drinkers. In general, the overall findings are suggestive of alcohol WHICH ROLE FOR LIFESTYLE CHANGES IN ERECTILE
consumption of a moderate quantity conferring the highest protection.66 DYSFUNCTION?
The beneficial effects of alcohol on erectile function may be due, in Erectile dysfunction is associated with smoking, excessive alcohol
part, to the long‑term benefits of alcohol on high‑density lipoprotein intake, physical inactivity, abdominal obesity, metabolic syndrome,
cholesterol and other variables that increase the bioavailability of NO. diabetes, hypertension, and decreased anti‑oxidant defenses, all of
which reduce NO availability. Moreover, there has been increasing
Experimental findings involving lifestyle modifications recognition of the many physiological causes of ED and of the potential
Corroborating findings in the clinical studies, several experimental for therapy to improve patient’s quality of life, self‑esteem, and ability to
studies demonstrate beneficial effects of lifestyle‑related factors (exercise, maintain intimate relationships.74 Although epidemiological evidence
calories restriction, dietary factors, alcohol, smoking) on erectile seems to support a role for lifestyle factors, limited data are available
function in animal models of ED. The most frequently reported models suggesting that the treatment of underlying risk factors and coexisting
of ED used rodents as the predominant animal for investigating erectile illnesses – for example with diet, exercise, stress reduction, and
function. Experimental animal models of ED include traumatic, smoking cessation – may improve ED.24 It has been demonstrated that
metabolic (diabetes, hypercholesterolemia/lipidemia, and castration) lifestyle‑based intervention strategies improve endothelial function,
and other organic models (smoking, hypertension, and chronic renal NO bio‑availability, and testosterone levels, producing benefits on
failure).67 In male Sprague–Dawley rats, both erectile function and erectile function.12,16,49 The major limitation remains the paucity of
coronary artery erectile function (CAEF) were blunted in Western intervention studies that have assessed the role of lifestyle changes on
diet‑fed rats who remained sedentary, but were preserved in those ED. Moreover, the studies reviewed are mainly limited to the exiguity
who started physical exercise (aerobic treadmill running) throughout of the study samples. However, the European Association of Urology
the dietary intervention, suggesting that exercise training may be a recently stated that “lifestyle changes and risk factors modification
practical strategy of preventing diet‑induced ED.68 A recent study in must precede or accompany ED treatment” and classified the Level of
the same experimental model of rats demonstrated that the caloric Evidence as 1b with a Grade A.75
restriction preserved both visceral adipose tissue (VAT) accumulation None of the many available treatment options offers a complete
and erectile function; moreover, analysis of body composition showed response in all patients. Thus, as with many other medical diseases,
that enhanced erectile response in calories‑restricted rats was well prevention maybe the most effective approach to alleviate the
correlated with the lower levels of VAT, indicating that the beneficial consequences of ED. Despite the increasing evidence that unhealthy
effect on erectile function may depend on decrease in adipose lifestyles lead to metabolic diseases, including sexual dysfunction,
tissue.69 Hannan et al.70 showed that a combination of exercise and the majority of adults fail to meet physical activity and nutritional
calories restriction may, in part, attenuated the age‑related decline in guidelines.76 In particular, it is recommended that adults accumulate
apomorphine‑induced erectile function in both normotensive and 30 min of moderate‑intensity aerobic physical activity on most days
hypertensive rats, with an inverse correlation between the number of the week. Moreover, a weight loss of 5%–10% in overweight or
of pharmacologically‑induced erections and body weight. The role of obese nondiabetic or diabetic men can result in effective improvement
dietary anti‑oxidants on erectile function was investigated in a study in erectile function in a short period. The lack of food‑based
of Zhang et al.:71 rabbits with atherosclerosis‑induced ED by balloon recommendations and actual dietary practice of the population could
de‑endothelialization of the iliac arteries were assigned to assumption be an additional limitation. However, dietary pattern which is high
of pomegranate extract as dietary anti‑oxidant or tap water as placebo. in fruit, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and fish but low in red and
Compared with rabbits receiving placebo, those who assumed processed meat and refined grains are more represented in subjects
pomegranate underwent improvement of intracavernosal blood flow, without ED. Mediterranean diet has been proposed as a healthy
erectile activity, smooth‑muscle relaxation and decrease in oxidative dietary pattern based on evidence that greater adherence to this diet
products, suggesting that dietary anti‑oxidants may have an effect on is associated with lower all‑cause and disease‑specific survival. In
molecular and ultra‑structural alteration involved on ED. Ethanol clinical trials, Mediterranean diet was more effective than a control
may impair the endothelial function of corpus cavernosum producing diet in ameliorating ED or restoring absent ED in people with obesity
endothelial damage, as it abolishes the endothelium‑dependent or metabolic syndrome, so that the adoption of a Mediterranean diet
relaxations induced by acetylcholine in mice.72 Finally, chronic may be associated with an improvement of ED.
Table 1: Suggested recommendations on lifestyle changes to be observed in order to prevent/treat erectile dysfunction
Risk factor Strategy Recommendation Level of evidence
Sedentary lifestyle Physical activity 30 min at least per day or 150 min week−1 of moderate intensity aerobic activity A*
Overweight/obesity Weight loss 5%–10% of weight reduction A*
Unhealthy diet Improvement of diet quality Increase in consumption of fruit and vegetables, whole grains and legumes; A*
limit red meat and processed food; reduction of saturated fat to <10%
calories, increase in intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty
acids; abolishment of added sugars‑beverages
Alcohol abuse Avoid excessive alcohol consumption 1–2 drinks maximum per day B
Cigarette smoking Educate on current cessation options Smoking cessation B*
A: evidence from intervention studies; B: evidence from prospective cohort studies or case‑control studies. *Few studies with small number
10
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