Air pollution could be killing men’s sex lives.
Research suggests that men who live in heavily polluted cities may find it harder to get erections.
They are also more likely to have problems with premature ejaculation, according to the same study.
And tests showed that extroverted men with a normal BMI were the most affected.
Chinese experts tracked more than 5,000 men and asked them about their general health and sexual function.
Research suggests that men who live in heavily polluted cities may find it harder to get erections. They are also more likely to have problems with premature ejaculation, according to the same study. And tests showed that extroverted men with a normal BMI were the most affected
The average levels of six pollutants near their homes over 12 months were also assessed.
These included particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).
All three have been linked to health problems such as heart disease and dementia.
Particles emitted by car exhaust and wood stoves can be so small that they travel deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
Researchers at Anhui Medical University found that men exposed to the highest average levels of NO2 had the worst erectile function.
This was measured using a questionnaire that asks men how often they have erections and whether they can maintain them. It gives them a score out of 25.
The highest NO2 levels in the study were recorded at 30 μg/m3.
UK laws currently set toxic NO2 levels per hour It should not exceed the threshold of 40 µg/m3 more than 18 times a year.
However, air quality monitoring tools show that this limit is regularly exceeded in some parts of London.
In comparison, NO2 levels in New York can increase by up to 27 µg/m3 day by day.
Meanwhile, men exposed to the highest levels of PM2.5 scored worse on a premature ejaculation questionnaire that asked if they ejaculated earlier than they wanted.
Sharing their results, the team speculated that the pollutants may hamper men’s sex lives by inducing an “inflammatory response” that constricts blood vessels.
The researchers said the effect of pollution on sexual function was strongest among men with a normal BMI, who were extroverted and smoked or drank alcohol.
They wrote: ‘People with a normal BMI are likely to engage in more outdoor activities compared to overweight men.
“And previous research has indicated that people who spend more time outdoors are more exposed to air pollutants.”
Exact scores were not detailed in the study, published in the journal Hazardous Materials Journal.
The results also relied on participants reporting their sexual function, which could introduce “bias,” the experts admitted.
No statistically significant results were found between other air pollutants and male sexual function.
The World Health Organization has long demanded that countries take tougher measures to combat the scourge of pollution, which is believed to kill 7 million people each year around the world.
Erectile dysfunction affects 4.3 million men in the UK, including half of all men aged 40 to 70. One in 10 will experience erectile dysfunction at some point in their lives. Medications such as Viagra (pictured) are used to control erectile dysfunction in at least two-thirds of cases, according to the NHS.
Erectile dysfunction affects 4.3 million men in the UK, including half of all men aged 40 to 70.
One in 10 will experience erectile dysfunction at some point in their lives.
According to the NHS, drugs such as Viagra are used to control erectile dysfunction in at least two-thirds of cases.
Erectile dysfunction often acts as a marker of a man’s overall health.
According to experts, the inability to achieve or maintain an erection could be the result of undiagnosed high cholesterol or blood pressure or even a warning sign of cardiovascular disease.
This is because the blood vessels need to dilate for blood to flow to the penis and allow the man to have an erection. But cardiovascular disease can narrow the arteries, meaning less blood can flow, making it difficult to get or maintain an erection.