Smoking is known to have adverse effects on mens sexual life. But it may raise the risk of impotence, particularly in younger men.
![Impotence risk in young smokers Impotence risk in young smokers](https://drop.ndtv.com/images/story-noimage.png?q=50)
Older men often have a number of other risk factors for impotence, including diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. In younger men, the association between smoking and impotence is less likely to be masked by other medical conditions. Smoking may have a more apparent impact on erectile dysfunction in young male smokers than it does in older male smokers. Previous studies have pointed to the impotence risk associated with smoking. Though the reasons aren't fully clear, it's thought that the effects of smoking on the blood vessels may impair blood flow to the penis, leading to problems with maintaining an erection.
Conditions, which impair blood circulation such as high blood pressure and heart disease, raise the risk of erectile dysfunction. Increasingly men diagnosed with ED are being referred for cardiovascular work-ups, since the condition could be a sign of underlying artery disease.
February 2005
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.