Erectile dysfunction

Affects 15 to 30 million men in the US, and screening should take place as part of routine health assessment.

May be associated with established cardiovascular risk factors or be a precursor to significant cardiovascular, psychological, or endocrine disease.

Treatment using oral phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors is first line therapy.

The five treatment options include pills, injections, suppositories, vacuum devices, and penile implants. Treating hypogonadism with testosterone supplementation may be regarded as a sixth option, though not currently a definitive organic erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment.

Complex patients and treatment failures should be evaluated by a urologist if continued therapy is desired.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual performance.[1]National Institutes of Health. Impotence: NIH consensus development panel on impotence. JAMA. 1993 Jul 7;270(1):83-90. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8510302?tool=bestpractice.com