In the first nationwide prevalence study of ED to include men age 40 and older with no upper age limit, interviews were conducted with 676 Hispanic, 901 white and 596 black men, as defined by US Census criteria. Similar prevalence of ED was reported across all three groups: 20 percent of Hispanics, 22 percent of whites and 24 percent of black men reported they were only "sometimes" or "never" able to get and keep an erection for satisfactory intercourse. An additional 31 percent of Hispanic men reported that they could only "usually" get and keep a satisfactory erection.The study also found that ED is positively associated with such conditions as cardiovascular disease (including high blood pressure and ischemic heart disease) and diabetes. Among those Hispanic men with cardiovascular disease, the percentage of those who reported to be "sometimes/never" able to get and keep an erection rose to 35 percent. Forty-three percent of Hispanic men with diabetes were similarly suffering from ED.

"Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Hispanics. Cultural attitudes regarding physical activity and eating, as well as a high incidence of diabetes, puts Hispanic Americans at higher risk of cardiovascular disease than non-Hispanic whites," stated Culley Carson, M.D., Division of Urology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and lead consultant to the study, which was funded by Pfizer Inc. "Additionally, Hispanic Americans are also less likely to have these conditions treated and controlled. Therefore, it is essential for physicians to screen for ED, as it is often a symptom of other serious by tre
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25-May-2002