Recent research confirms that there is a genetic factor involved in the risk for erectile dysfunction. This discovery may lead in time to new and novel therapies for the treatment of ED. 

It has long been recognized that men with type 2 diabetes face a higher risk of developing Erectile Dysfunction than nondiabetics. However, recent research appears to have identified a specific Gene that may play a significant role in both disorders.

Two studies, published in the final quarter of 2018 and first quarter of 2019, pinpoint an area near the SIM1 gene, which they’ve labeled the SIM1 locus, as a risk factor for both erectile dysfunction and type 2 diabetes. This discovery also confirms the long-held suspicion that genetics plays a determinative role in some cases of ED.

What the First Study Found

The first of the two studies was published in the October 23, 2018, issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and was conducted by a large team of researchers affiliated with institutions in the western United States.

That study’s lead author, Eric Jorgensen, said the study “is a big deal because it provides the long sought-after proof that there is a genetic component to the disease.” He said that discovering the first genetic risk factor for ED paves the way for research to develop genetic-based therapies to treat male impotence.

Findings of the Second Study

Similar findings emerged from the second study, which was published in an early 2019 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics. That study also implicated the SIM1 gene as a focal point for the risk of developing ED.

Researchers responsible for the second study are affiliated with Oxford University and the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, as well as with the Estonian Genome Center, based at Estonia’s University of Tartu.

Those researchers found that defects or variations in the SIM1 gene also led to the development of type 2 diabetes, which has been implicated as a significant risk factor for ED but primarily on the basis of metabolic factors.

What It All Means

Previous research on the SIM1 gene had suggested that changes in the gene were associated with nervous system issues related to blood pressure and with severe obesity as well. The new research establishes a broader role for the SIM1 gene than was previously understood.

The American study estimated that men with variations in the SIM1 locus face a 26 percent higher risk of ED than men with an unaltered SIM1 locus. Hunter Wessells, M.D., a co-author of the U.S. study, said the study’s findings point to a new direction for research into the cause and possible treatment of ED. “Hopefully, this will translate into better treatments and, importantly, prevention approaches for the men and their partners who often suffer silently this condition.”

Viagra Offers Temporary Relief

For men whose ED symptoms are caused by insufficient blood flow to the penis, the primary cause of the disorder, Viagra and the other ED drugs known as PDE5 inhibitors offer at least temporary relief.

If the convenience of ordering these drugs online appeals to you, check out the wide array of services available from longtime online facilitator eDrugstore.com, based in Tempe, Arizona. In business since the late 1990s, eDrugstore stocks the full range of ED medications, including both brand-name and generic products. To learn more, visit its Erectile Dysfunction page.