According to a recent study, men may be at risk for age-related memory loss and, eventually, dementia, if their levels of sexual satisfaction fall in middle age and erectile dysfunction increase.
The results, which are certain to make headlines, come as other scientists disclose new evidence that poor diets increase the risk of dementia and memory loss in older individuals.
Erectile Dysfunction Linked to Dementia Risk in Men
Both studies add to the growing body of research on lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk of dementia, a devastating disease that already takes the lives of 6 million Americans annually.
These numbers are expected to drastically rise as the population
In a study including 818 guys in their 50s who were tracked for more than a decade, researchers discovered that those with unsatisfactory sex lives showed a faster decline on memory tests than those who did not.
The reason for this, according to researchers, is that those who have poor sex are more likely to face ongoing stress, which may cause the memory-related areas of the brain to atrophy.
Nevertheless, they did also raise the possibility that it could be a sign of poor heart health, which is known to raise the risk of memory problems.
The study, which was just published in the Gerontological Society of America Journal, involved people who had served in the US military between 1965 and 1975.
Participants were, on average, 56 years old at the start of the study; by the time it was over, they were 68 years old.
None of the participants experienced either erectile dysfunction or cognitive impairment at the start of the trial.
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Longitudinal Link Between Poor Sex Life
Each participant was questioned at the beginning of the study and twice more every six years for the following 12 years.
In addition to answering questions on their relationships and sexual experiences, participants also completed self-reported questionnaires about their sexual satisfaction.
Also, a battery of tests was used to gauge cognition.
The findings demonstrated that participants who reported bad sex lives were associated with a higher risk of memory loss than those who did not.
Males who had a less erectile function at the beginning of the trial experienced more memory loss over time than other men.
Even after the researchers took into account demographic and health parameters including age and body weight, these effects persisted.
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