Vaping Linked To Erectile Dysfunction in Men According To Studies

By Mayukh Saha / Truth Theory

There have been studies done on the ill effects of vaping, and this time around, erectile dysfunction has been thought to be a major consequence. A study which was jointly conducted by John Hopkins and New York University found out that men who would smoke e-cigarettes were around 2.4 times more likely to suffer from ED than their non-vaping counterparts- which is quite a misfortune considering e-cigarettes have been marketed as healthier than the real thing. The large sample used by the study included 45,971 men all aged between 20-65 and were differentiated by those who suffered from cardiovascular issues and those who didn’t. This was vital, as ED could be an indicator of heart disease. 

Also Read: WHY GETTING OUTSIDE FOR A WALK IN THE COLD CAN BENEFIT YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH

How Far Can One Link Vaping With Erectile Dysfunction

The study was then published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, where the lead authors highlighted that smoking actual cigarettes had always been linked with erectile dysfunction, so with e-cigarettes leading to the same, one of the major advantages just got struck out. This was yet another blot on the claims of the industry that e-cigarettes were significantly healthier than normal cigarettes.

Subscribe to our Youtube channel, new videos every week:

Omar El-Shahawy, the researcher at the Department of Population Health at NYU and the lead author of this study stated that with the number of people using e-cigarettes regularly to help them stop smoking, one needed to fully investigate the relationship that existed between erectile dysfunction and vaping products, and thus explore the implications that were present for men’s sexual health.

He further added that their analyses had seemingly accounted for the cigarette smoking history of those involved, including those who had never smoked a cigarette in their lives, so it is quite possible that daily vaping through e-cigarette could definitely be associated with far higher odds of erectile dysfunction irrespective of one’s smoking history. The researchers involved with this study do seem to have a clear mission in their heads. The press release for NYU Langone for the study explicitly highlighted that the researchers had believed that users of e-cigarette should be informed about the relationship that existed between ED and vaping.

The Cause and Effect Behind Erectile Dysfunction

Now, one could obviously stake a claim that the study simply shows associations between vaping and Erectile dysfunction and not cause and effect- and that is indeed true. The study didn’t really flesh out other causes which could lead to ED such as anxiety, depression, medications, or just the general ambiance around. The study also didn’t seem to be identifying those who didn’t have ED- because they were getting treated for it. 

Also, one has to realize that asking someone about Erectile dysfunction in a survey wasn’t the same as observing it yourself. While there are extremely low chances of someone actually asking the other person to show if they have ED or not, it needs to be kept in mind that ED can be different to different people. For some, it could be a recurring issue, while for others, it could be a once-in-a-blue-moon thing.

Also Read: MICROPLASTICS AND THEIR IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH CAUSES CONCERN AND REQUIRE IMMEDIATE RESEARCH

And yet, despite this criticism, it also can’t be denied that this is not the first study that has tried drawing the possible connection between Erectile dysfunction and vaping. Earlier studies have linked both nicotine and smoking to ED. Also, just because E-cigarettes are less harmful than normal cigarettes doesn’t mean that they are not harmful at all.