Forget the Marlboro man -- new research shows that
smoking, often marketed as a symbol of virility, increases the risk of
impotence.
Men who smoke are up to 40 percent more likely to suffer from impotence
than those who don't," said Dr Christopher Millett, of Imperial College London,
who worked on the research.
He added that the more cigarettes smoked, the greater the risk of suffering
from a sexual performance problem. But even men who smoked less than 20
cigarettes a day, had a 24 percent raised risk of impotence.
"It is not just older men who suffer from impotence, younger men are also
affected as well," Millett added in an interview.
The findings, reported on Thursday in the journal Tobacco Control, are based
on a survey of 8,000 men in Australia aged between 16 and 59 who took part in a
study of health and relationships.
Almost one in 10 reported an impotence problem lasting more than a month
during the previous year.
About a quarter were smokers and more than 6 percent said they got through
over 20 cigarettes a day.
Men who smoked more than a pack or more a day were 39 percent more likely to
report sexual problems, according to the study.
"For decades, cigarettes were marketed as symbol of virility, as in the macho
Marlboro Man ads," said Deborah Arnott, of the anti-smoking group ASH (Action on
Smoking and Health).
"Yet the reality is that smoking is a primary cause of impotence which may
also be an early indicator of coronary heart disease," she added in a statement.
Research has shown that smoking is a leading cause of preventable death. It
increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, respiratory problems, lung and
other types of cancer.
Millett said if young men want to avoid the embarrassment and distress of
impotence they should not smoke.
"By highlighting this link between smoking and erectile problems, we may be
able to motivate these men to quit," he added.