Pourmand G et al. (2004) Do cigarette smokers with erectile dysfunction benefit from stopping?: a prospective study. BJU Int 94: 1310–1313

Smoking cessation can decrease the individual's risk of vascular diseases such as coronary artery disease and ischemic stroke. Pourmand et al. hypothesized that the severity of erectile dysfunction would also be reduced. In their recent study, participants who successfully stopped smoking were significantly more likely to show improvements in ED than those who continued.

The study included 118 ex-smokers and 163 current smokers, all of whom had undergone nicotine replacement therapy. All participants reported at least mild erectile dysfunction at the beginning of the study and, besides smoking, had no known risk factors for the condition. The severity of erectile dysfunction was strongly associated with smoking intensity. Although the two groups of participants had similar ED status at the start of the study, those who stopped smoking had a significantly better grade of ED after one year's follow-up. After this period, 30 (25.4%) of the ex-smokers reported an improvement in their ED status of at least one grade according to the five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire. Those with mild ED at the start of the study showed the greatest improvement, whereas none of those with severe ED improved. Three (2.5%) individuals in the ex-smokers group experienced a worsening of their condition. In contrast, no individuals in the 'current smokers' group showed an improvement in ED, and 11 (6.8%) reported that their ED status had deteriorated.

In conclusion, the study showed a strong dose-dependent relationship between smoking and ED and demonstrated that smoking cessation can improve the condition.