Infection May Link Periodontitis with Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been shown to be an indicator of arterial disease involving the small arteries of the penis (actually, atherosclerosis). And it’s known that periodontitis, or inflammatory gum disease, is associated with an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis. There’s a possible link between the two conditions – the bacterial infection associated with periodontitis.

Israeli doctors studied 305 men, and found that 15.8% of those with moderate/severe ED had advanced periodontitis, as did 9.8% of those with mild ED. On the other hand, only 2.1% of those without ED had periodontitis. The researchers suggest that fleeting spread of bacteria into the blood from periodontitis could precipitate small vessel atherosclerosis (bacterial DNA from periodontal bacteria has been found in atheromatous plaques).

There are two lessons from this study. First, look after your teeth if you want to avoid not only erectile dysfunction but also coronary artery disease. Second, if you have ED, get your teeth examined as you may have periodontitis, which should certainly be treated to prevent further cardiovascular disease.