← all papers · erectile dysfunction (58) Science journalism, not medical advice.
- Birch Tree Compound Fights Post-Surgery ED — In Rats2026-05-12
Betulinic acid reduced penile smooth muscle apoptosis in nerve-injured rats, but this is a 5-rats-per-group rodent study with no funding disclosure
Betulinic Acid Ameliorates Cavernous Nerve Injury-Induced Erectile Dysfunction Through Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway Activation and Inhibition of Mitochondrial Damage-Dependent Corpus Cavernosum Smooth Muscle Cells Apoptosis animal study erectile dysfunction oxidative stress surgical outcomes
- BPH Drugs Tank Sex Drive. Does Rezum?2026-05-11
Rezum patients gained sexual desire and erectile function at 1 year; every drug regimen caused significant declines across multiple sexual domains
Sexual Function Outcomes of 5-Year Rezum Treatment vs. Drug Therapy for BPH BPH erectile dysfunction sexual dysfunction surgical outcomes
- Yes, Exercise Helps ED. The Effect Is Modest.2026-05-11
16 RCTs, 1,477 men: lifestyle interventions improved IIEF scores by 2.35 points — statistically significant, clinically borderline.
Efficacy of Lifestyle Interventions in Treating Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials erectile dysfunction systematic review meta-analysis vascular health exercise
- Penile Implant Drains: Trend Toward Worse, Not Better2026-05-11
Drain use after three-piece penile implant surgery showed no benefit — hematoma rates trended slightly higher in the drain group
Does a 24-h Closed-Suction Drain Reduce Infection and Hematoma After Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Surgery? A Comparative Study penile prosthesis surgical outcomes erectile dysfunction retrospective cohort
- Young Men With ED Almost Never See a Psychiatrist2026-05-11
In a cohort of young men with ED and a diagnosed mental health condition, only 6.2% ever had a psychiatry appointment.
Evaluating Mental Health Risk and Psychiatric Care Access in 18–40 Year Old Men with Erectile Dysfunction erectile dysfunction mental health health services retrospective cohort
- New ED Drug: Higher Dose, Same Effect, More Side Effects2026-05-09
Phase 2 RCT of 255 men finds simenafil (5–20 mg) improves IIEF-EF scores ~9 points over placebo, but 20 mg hits 62% adverse event rate with no clear efficacy advantage over 5 mg
Efficacy and Safety of Simenafil in Men with Erectile Dysfunction: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Fixed-Dose, Parallel-Group, Phase 2 Trial erectile dysfunction vascular health sexual dysfunction
- Frailty Score Predicts ED—But Only Moderately2026-05-08
Frail men had 22% higher odds of ED vs. non-frail men in a 1,372-person NHANES analysis; predictive accuracy was moderate (AUC 0.662)
Association Between Frailty Index and Erectile Dysfunction: A Cross-Sectional Study Using NHANES 2001 to 2004 Data erectile dysfunction cross-sectional epidemiology biomarkers
- Shockwave and PRP for ED? Still Experimental, Review Concludes2026-04-30
Narrative review synthesizes the full ED treatment ladder — prosthetics top 95% satisfaction; shockwave and PRP remain experimental.
Erectile Dysfunction: A Comprehensive Review of Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Contemporary Management erectile dysfunction narrative review penile prosthesis sexual dysfunction evidence quality
- Dyslipidemia and ED: Plausible but Not Proven2026-04-22
A review maps five pathways linking dyslipidemia to ED, then concedes direct evidence for all five is limited
Mechanisms of Dyslipidemia-Induced Erectile Dysfunction: A Narrative Review erectile dysfunction narrative review cardiovascular disease vascular health metabolic syndrome oxidative stress
- Genetics Breaks the Prostatitis-ED Link2026-04-17
Genetic analysis of FinnGen data found no causal link between prostatitis and ED in either direction (OR=1.132, P=.199)
No Causal Effect Between Prostatitis and Erectile Dysfunction: Insights from a 2-Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study erectile dysfunction genetics inflammation genomics
- More Dilation, Less Surgery During Penile Implants2026-04-09
Upgrading to larger dilators during IPP surgery in Peyronie's disease significantly reduced residual intraoperative curvature and the need for additional corrective steps (P < .01)
Extended Corporal Dilation Decreases Need for Adjuvant Maneuvers During Penile Implant Placement in Peyronie's Disease penile prosthesis surgical outcomes Peyronie's disease erectile dysfunction
- New Obesity Hurts Erections More Than Chronic Obesity2026-04-09
Brazilian men who became newly obese had 2.46× the odds of persistent ED vs. stable healthy-weight men; those already obese had 1.73×
Longitudinal Associations Between Changes in Body Mass Index and Erectile Dysfunction erectile dysfunction obesity cohort study vascular health
- Sensation Loss Predicts Penile Implant Satisfaction2026-04-09
After IPP surgery in 159 men, sensory loss predicted 17.7-point lower satisfaction scores; penoscrotal vs. infrapubic approach made no difference
Patient-Reported Penile Sensory Loss, Not Surgical Approach, Is Associated with Sexual Satisfaction After Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Implantation penile prosthesis erectile dysfunction surgical outcomes sexual dysfunction
- Eye Autoimmunity to ED: Pure Speculation2026-04-08
A hypothesis paper proposes that autoimmune retinopathy might damage circadian-regulating retinal cells and thereby impair testosterone and nitric oxide signaling — no data included
A Hypothetical Circadian–Endocrine Pathway Linking Melanopsin-Expressing ipRGC Dysfunction in Autoimmune Retinopathy to Sexual Dysfunction erectile dysfunction sexual dysfunction immunology biomarkers
- Anti-Aging Peptide Fights Post-Surgery ED — in Rats2026-04-08
A Klotho-derived peptide reduced penile fibrosis and preserved erectile function in rats after cavernous nerve injury — no human data yet
Klotho-Derived Peptide Preserves Erectile Function by Limiting Fibrosis, Oxidative Stress, and Apoptosis of Penile Smooth Muscle Cells in Cavernous Nerve Injured-Rats Through Suppression of the TGF-β1/TGF-β Type II Receptor Signaling animal study erectile dysfunction oxidative stress prostate cancer
- Stroke, Parkinson's, MS All Disrupt Bladder2026-04-02
Review maps how neural damage from cortex to ganglia produces distinct bladder and sexual dysfunction across 10+ neurological conditions
Urogenital Dysfunction in Neurological Diseases Parkinson's disease multiple sclerosis sexual dysfunction erectile dysfunction
- Web Therapy Helps ED—If Men Stick With It2026-04-02
21 studies found online CBT improved erectile function; ED remission rates were 20–30%, but fewer than 60% of participants stayed engaged
Internet-Based CBT and Online Counseling for Male Sexual Dysfunction: Systematic Review erectile dysfunction sexual dysfunction evidence quality
- Shockwave Beats Kegels in Diabetic ED, but Both Help2026-04-02
Adding either Li-ESWT or home pelvic floor training to sildenafil improved penile blood flow in 90 diabetic men; shockwave led by 10 cm/sec
Low-intensity shockwave therapy and pelvic floor muscle training each mitigate erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes: a randomised controlled trial erectile dysfunction pelvic floor vascular health diabetes
- Pharma Authors Write Fictional Stories, Call It Evidence2026-04-02
Two of four authors work for Viatris — a PDE5i manufacturer — yet COI is listed as "not listed"
Narrative-Based Sexual Medicine: Clinical Vignettes and PDE5 Inhibitor Management in Real-World ED erectile dysfunction evidence quality pharmacovigilance
- A Chinese Herbal Formula Targets Iron Cell Death — in Rats2026-04
TCM formula SFZYD reduced ferroptosis markers and improved erectile function in diabetic rats via the Nrf2/HO-1/GPX4 pathway — no human data
Mechanism of Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction in Improving Diabetes Mellitus Erectile Dysfunction Inhibition of Ferroptosis Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation diabetes erectile dysfunction traditional chinese medicine oxidative stress animal study
- What's That on the X-Ray? A Urological Device Guide2026-03-27
Radiology review catalogues imaging appearances of penile implants, incontinence devices, cosmetic augmentations, and BPH hardware
Imaging Review of Male Genitourinary Devices and Augmentations penile prosthesis erectile dysfunction BPH urinary incontinence
- Weight Loss Surgery Raises Testosterone — But Not the Free Kind2026-03-25
21 studies, 695 men: bariatric surgery improved IIEF-5 scores by 6.45 points and raised total testosterone, but free testosterone didn't move
The impact of bariatric surgery on male sexual function: a systematic review and meta-analysis obesity erectile dysfunction testosterone meta-analysis systematic review surgical outcomes
- Plant Compounds in Nanopackages Won't Fix ED Yet2026-03-24
Chemical engineering duo reviews plant-derived compounds delivered via nanoparticles for ED — heavy on preclinical data, light on clinical evidence
Phytochemical-Based Nanomedicine as a Promising Therapeutic Strategy for Erectile Dysfunction erectile dysfunction narrative review oxidative stress nanomedicine
- Years Playing, Not Injury Severity, Predicts Bladder Control2026-03-18
In 69 paralyzed rugby players, years of sport participation predicted bladder control better than injury classification did
Urinary Symptoms and Sexual Dysfunction in National Level Wheelchair Rugby Male Athletes With Spinal Cord Injury sexual dysfunction erectile dysfunction cross-sectional spinal cord injury
- Does Your Doctor Ask About Your Sex Life?2026-03-11
A 2026 review maps primary care's role in four sexual health conditions: ED, premature ejaculation, sexual pain, and low desire.
Addressing Sexual Health in Primary Care erectile dysfunction premature ejaculation sexual dysfunction health services narrative review
- MS Ruins Sex Life—For Nearly Everyone. Sample: 372026-03-11
87.5% of men with relapsing-remitting MS screened positive for ED in a 37-person self-selected online survey
Hidden Challenges: A Cross-Sectional Study on Prevalence and Determinants of Sexual Dysfunction in Men and Women with Multiple Sclerosis sexual dysfunction erectile dysfunction cross-sectional multiple sclerosis
- Mapping What Nurses Actually Do for ED2026-03-09
A systematic review of 14 studies maps RN and NP roles in ED care — organizational, not clinical
Nurses' Roles in Managing Erectile Dysfunction: A Mixed-Method Systematic Review erectile dysfunction
- Three Metabolic Flags for Silent Heart Damage in ED Men2026-03-09
Dyslipidemia more than doubled the odds of diastolic heart dysfunction in 398 men with ED; BMI was the only factor linking to both types
Risk Factors Associated with Cardiac Dysfunction in Men with Erectile Dysfunction erectile dysfunction cardiovascular disease cross-sectional metabolic syndrome biomarkers
- Four Guideline Panels, Four Different Playbooks2026-03-08
Four major urology societies agree on diagnosis basics but split on when to treat and what works—mostly because the evidence is thin.
Guideline of Guidelines: Peyronie's Disease Peyronie's disease evidence quality erectile dysfunction surgical outcomes
- Shockwave ED Stats Look Good. Patients Disagree.2026-03-07
LI-ESWT improved IIEF scores across 19 RCTs, but most studies failed to reach the minimally clinically important difference
A Close Look at the Evidence on Low-Intensity Shockwave Therapy in Erectile Dysfunction — A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials erectile dysfunction meta-analysis evidence quality sexual dysfunction
- Most ED Evidence Is Garbage2026-03-06
95% of treatment evidence rated low or very low quality across 23 meta-analyses
Current treatment for erectile dysfunction: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses erectile dysfunction evidence quality meta-analysis
- Two IPP Brands, One Conflicted Reviewer2026-03-05
Narrative review declares both major IPP brands roughly equivalent — written by an author with industry ties to both manufacturers
Three-Piece Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Implantation in Clinical Practice penile prosthesis erectile dysfunction surgical outcomes evidence quality
- Shockwave Therapy for ED Fades After 12 Months2026-03-02
Li-ESWT pushed IIEF-EF from 11 to 21 at 12 months in 188 PDE5-refractory men — but scores slipped to 18 by 18 months
Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Vasculogenic ED Refractory to PDE5 Inhibitors: A Prospective Study with 12- and 18-Month Outcomes erectile dysfunction vascular health evidence quality
- 92% Continence After Prostate Surgery — No Robot Required2026-03-01
360-patient Italian series reports 92.5% continence and 83% erectile function recovery at 6-12 months with 3D laparoscopy, no robotic platform
3D Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy: The Romolo Hospital Experience prostate cancer surgical outcomes urinary incontinence erectile dysfunction robotics
- One in Four Penile Implants Needs Revision2026-02-28
24% of patients required reintervention over a median 39-month follow-up; median prosthesis survival was 7 years, but no independent risk factors were confirmed.
Prolonged Survival and Risk Factors for Reintervention After Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Implantation erectile dysfunction penile prosthesis surgical outcomes
- The Penile Implant Germany Won't Use2026-02-25
Germany implants far fewer penile prostheses than evidence warrants — and the authors say structural barriers, not lack of efficacy, are to blame
Penile Implant Surgery in Germany — Effective, Established, Yet Underused penile prosthesis erectile dysfunction health services surgical outcomes
- Sexual Dysfunction as a Heart Disease Early Warning2026-02-22
ED may flag cardiovascular disease years before symptoms — the evidence for women lags far behind
Erectile and Clitoral Dysfunction as Harbingers of Cardiovascular Disease: A Perspective erectile dysfunction cardiovascular disease sexual dysfunction
- TCM for ED: Mostly Animal Data, Few Clinical Trials2026-02-13
A narrative review of TCM mechanisms for ED — heavy on preclinical theory, thin on human evidence
Mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in treating erectile dysfunction: A review erectile dysfunction traditional chinese medicine animal study
- AAS and ED: Most Reviews Nearly Worthless2026-02-12
Six systematic reviews on AAS-induced ED: four rated critically low confidence, one low, one medium
Erectile Dysfunction and Related Variables Due to Anabolic Steroid Use: A Review of Reviews erectile dysfunction hypogonadism systematic review evidence quality anabolic steroids
- Insulin Resistance Linked to Softer Erections2026-02-11
Higher TyG index — a proxy for insulin resistance — correlated weakly with lower penile rigidity on objective testing (r = −0.22 at best)
Association Between Triglyceride-Glucose Index and AVSS-RigiScan Test Parameters in Men With Erectile Dysfunction erectile dysfunction metabolic syndrome biomarkers vascular health
- Which SSRI Hits Male Sexual Function Hardest?2026-02-07
Escitalopram and citalopram showed the strongest ED signals (ROR ~8) across 6.6 million FAERS reports; fluvoxamine's signal didn't reach significance
Male Sexual Dysfunction Associated with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): A Pharmacovigilance Disproportionality Analysis of FAERS Data antidepressants erectile dysfunction pharmacovigilance sexual dysfunction
- One in Four Penile Implant Patients Loses Glans Sensitivity2026-02-05
116 men followed 6+ years after infrapubic penile implant: 27% developed glans numbness, 9.5% needed reoperation
Infrapubic Approach for Inflatable Penile Prosthesis: Perioperative and Long-Term Outcomes penile prosthesis erectile dysfunction surgical outcomes
- More Kidney Stones, Worse Erections — But Why?2026-01-23
202 kidney stone patients surveyed: men with recurrent stones showed worse erectile function, women reported low arousal regardless of stone burden
Evaluating the Sexual Quality of Life of Kidney Stone Formers: A Multicentric Cross-Sectional Study kidney stones erectile dysfunction sexual dysfunction cross-sectional women's health
- Men Think Average Is Small. Research Agrees They're Wrong.2026-01-20
Only 7 studies exist on this topic — all found men overestimate what's "normal" in size and sexual performance while underestimating their own normalcy
Are Men Aware of Normal Penile Length and Sexual Function? A Narrative Review narrative review sexual dysfunction erectile dysfunction evidence quality
- Blood Flow Physics May Explain ED2026-01-13
A narrative review of how mechanical force on vessel walls drives—or disrupts—the biology of erection
Exploring the Application of Shear Stress in Erectile Dysfunction erectile dysfunction vascular health
- New Blood Marker Flags ED — At 71% Accuracy2026-01-05
sTWEAK, an inflammatory cytokine, rose with ED severity in 90 patients vs. 90 controls — AUC 0.776, 71% sensitivity and specificity
New biomarker for erectile dysfunction: Soluble tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis erectile dysfunction biomarkers vascular health cardiovascular disease
- Only 12% of Men Satisfied With Surgical Appearance2025-12-26
Only 12% of men with repaired bladder exstrophy were satisfied with genital appearance; 43% of women met criteria for sexual dysfunction
Long-term Sexual Outcomes in Classic Bladder Exstrophy: Insights from Standardized Scores bladder exstrophy pediatric urology sexual dysfunction erectile dysfunction surgical outcomes patient satisfaction retrospective cohort quality of life
- Blocking One Protein Protects Penile Vessels in Diabetic Rats2025-12-16
Rat study identifies a molecular pathway linking high blood sugar to penile endothelial aging — no human data yet
Inhibition of c-Jun/Bak Signaling Alleviates Endothelial Cell Senescence and Inflammation Caused by Mitochondrial Dysfunction in DMED erectile dysfunction animal study oxidative stress vascular health inflammation
- Obesity and ED: 23 Studies, Still No Clear Answer2025-12-03
23 studies, 52,981 men — and researchers still can't agree on how common ED is in obese men
Prevalence and Incidence of Erectile Dysfunction in Men With Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Literature Review erectile dysfunction obesity systematic review metabolic syndrome
- Sildenafil Beats Tadalafil—But Read the Fine Print2025-11-19
Sildenafil scored higher than tadalafil on satisfaction and hardness in 132,100 real-world patients; vardenafil had the worst side-effect profile (47.4% vs ~34%).
Head-to-head Comparison of the Safety and Efficacy Profiles of Three Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors through Patient-reported Outcomes of 130 000 Patients from a Direct-to-consumer Platform Database erectile dysfunction pharmacovigilance health services evidence quality
- Two Implants at Once After Prostatectomy: Small Trials, Decent Numbers2025-11-07
Simultaneous penile prosthesis + incontinence device implantation appears safe, with continence rates of 72–100% and IPP satisfaction of 84–100% — but all 21 included studies are small and mostly retrospective
Surgical Treatment Options for Concomitant Post-Prostatectomy ED and Stress Urinary Incontinence erectile dysfunction penile prosthesis surgical outcomes prostate cancer
- High-Volume Exercise Linked to Bladder Leaks in Men2025-10-21
Scoping review of 10 studies finds LUTS rates up to 18.8% in male athletes, with a strong dose-response correlation (R = 0.87) between weekly exercise volume and urinary symptoms.
Prevalence of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Male Athletes and Its Dose-Dependency in High-Intensity Exercise: A Scoping Review erectile dysfunction evidence quality cross-sectional pelvic floor
- One New Implant Fails 1 in 4 Times2025-09-13
Across 30 studies, penile implant removal rates were generally below 10%, but one newer device (Zephyr ZSI 475®) showed a 25.7% early mechanical failure rate.
Removal Rate and Mechanical Failure in Penile Prosthesis Implantation: A Systematic Review penile prosthesis erectile dysfunction surgical outcomes evidence quality
- A Rare Penile Condition With Almost No Research2025-07-07
Only 8 studies exist on hard-flaccid syndrome — most are case reports, leaving diagnosis and treatment without any established guidelines.
Hard-Flaccid Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Aetiopathophysiology, Clinical Presentation and Management erectile dysfunction sexual dysfunction systematic review pelvic floor case report
- Sexual Self-Esteem Tracks Closely With ED and PE2025-07-04
In 5,665 German men at age 50, negative body image, low sexual self-esteem, and perceived sexual pressure each independently predicted ED, PE, and low libido (all p<0.001)
Dimensions of Sexual Self-Concept and Sexual Dysfunctions in Middle-Aged Men: Results of the Bavarian Men's Health Study erectile dysfunction sexual dysfunction cross-sectional epidemiology
- Genetics Flags Two New ED Drug Targets2025-06-15
Mendelian randomization across ~325K individuals flagged two candidate drug targets for ED, both expressed in penile endothelial and smooth muscle cells
Identification of potential drug targets for erectile dysfunction with single-cell RNA sequencing: A Mendelian randomization study erectile dysfunction genetics vascular health biomarkers
- Robotic Surgery Halves Ejaculation Problems After Rectal Cancer2024-10-22
Robotic rectal surgery cut ejaculatory dysfunction from 41% to 25% vs. laparoscopic at 12 months — no edge on erections
Prospective Multicenter Comprehensive Survey on Male Sexual Dysfunction following Laparoscopic, Robotic, and Transanal Approaches for Rectal Cancer (the LANDMARC Study) surgical outcomes erectile dysfunction sexual dysfunction robotics quality of life
- Four Patients, Three Conflicts, One Recommendation2024-03-05
A 4-patient case series — with manufacturer financial ties declared by 3 of 5 authors — reports high satisfaction with a subcutaneous silicone penile implant post-prostatectomy.
Himplant® Subcutaneous Penile Implant Improves Penile Appearance and Erectile Dysfunction After Radical Prostatectomy: A Case Series penile prosthesis erectile dysfunction prostate cancer case report