Brisk walking may protect against erectile dysfunction

Men who do brisk walking are less likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED), suggests a study that shows an inverse relationship between walking pace and ED risk.

A team of investigators conducted this Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data related to walking pace. The primary MR analysis method used was the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. Two additional MR methods, MR-Egger and weighted mean (WM), supplemented the IVW results.

In addition, the investigators performed sensitivity analysis to assess heterogeneity and pleiotropy, as well as multivariable MR (MVMR) analysis to examine the causal association after adjusting for potential confounding factors.

Based on the IVW method, genetically predicted walking pace showed a reverse causal relationship with the risk of ED (odds ratio, 0.24, 95 percent confidence interval, 0.12–0.51. Using the other two MR methods revealed similar causal effects, with statistical significance achieved in the WM method and validation via sensitivity analyses.

In MVMR analysis, the protective effect of increased walking pace against the risk of ED persisted even after adjusting for potential confounders.

“The results of this study suggest that there is an inverse causal relationship between walking pace and ED risk, and brisk walking may be an independent protective factor against ED,” the investigators said. 

“Encouraging men to engage in brisk walking could be an effective strategy for reducing the incidence of ED,” they added.