Researchers find link between erectile dysfunction and men's genes

The researchers discovered for the first time a genetic link with erectile dysfunction in humans.

In a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesHunter Wessells, a researcher at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and his colleagues found that variants of a unique site on chromosome 6 were linked to a significantly increased risk of developing erectile dysfunction.

Previous studies involving twins have shown that at least a third of the risk of erectile dysfunction is hereditary, but until now, researchers have not identified a site in the genome that confers this risk .

The researchers in the new study, which analyzed the complete genomes of more than 36,000 Americans and 222,000 Britons, selected a single area, called a locus, in DNA that interacts with a gene called SIM1, correlated with erectile dysfunction. among test participants. study.

The SIM1 gene plays a role in the regulation of body weight and in a pathway that produces two hormones that stimulate erections. Mutations in the neighboring locus alter how this gene works in the body, which researchers say could potentially lead to erectile dysfunction.

After controlling for other common factors such as body weight, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and smoking, the researchers found that the genetic factor remained relevant to the risk of erectile dysfunction.

There are different levels of severity for the disease, but Wessells and colleagues have found that the SIM1 gene seems to affect them all in the same way. The gene appears to have the greatest effects in men aged 50 to 59 years.

The researchers said the findings may have implications for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, particularly in patients who do not respond to currently available treatments or in those with adverse effects that prompt them to discontinue treatment.

"This study points to a new research direction on erectile dysfunction that could help us identify other key genetic variants that trigger the disease and to conduct investigations to better understand the precise mechanisms by which they work," he said. Wessells in a statement issued by the University of Washington School of Medicine.

The researchers did not involve the women in the study, but future research could also focus on the effects of the SIM1 gene in women. Although women do not suffer from erectile dysfunction, the hormones involved in the gene also play a role in female sexual function, which could also have an impact on women's sexual arousal.