Diabetes is one of the leading risk factors for erectile dysfunction. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, estimates of the prevalence of ED among diabetic men vary widely, ranging from 20 to 75 percent. And the risk of ED among diabetic men is two to three times what it is for nondiabetics, according to NDIC.
Among all men with erectile dysfunction, men with diabetes tend to develop the problem 10 to 15 years earlier than those who aren’t diabetic. Because diabetes goes untreated in a large number of both men and women, research indicates the ED may be an early indicator of diabetes, particularly in men who are 45 or younger.
As men with diabetes age, the incidence of ED increases fairly sharply, according to WebMD. Among men over the age of 50, ED occurs in 50 to 60 percent of diabetics. Among men 70 and over, ED affects roughly 95 percent of male diabetics.