Perhaps the most common problem effecting sexual function wasn't mentioned in this article: sleep disorders. By far one of the most common disorders in medicine, it may be the consequence of another chronic illnesses, secondary to obesity or as it's own disorder. There are about 100 identified sleep disorders the most common being sleep apnea. Sleep disorders can cause fatigue, effect the production of neuro-hormones (including the sexual hormone), decrease the immune response and accelerate the progression of cardiovascular illness (apnea patients have increased risk for hypertension and stroke).
Ignoring this underlying problem will make sexual dysfunction and the other associated medical disorders very difficult to treat. The information can be gotten through simple sleep questionnaires and the formal diagnosis made in a sleep laboratory.
Dr Murray H Rosenthalof CA3:13PM September 07, 2008
it makes a whole lot of sense that erectile dysfunction is a harbinger of cardiovascular disease... I just never made the connection before reading the article.
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Dr Murray H Rosenthal of CA 3:13PM September 07, 2008
deborah davis of KY 12:51AM September 05, 2008