Risks of flopping on the couch
Almost one in five American men suffers from erectile dysfunction - and the condition is strongly linked to a sedentary lifestyle, with little exercise, poor diet and lots of television. 'It's another reason to get off the couch,' says team leader Elizabeth Selvin of Johns Hopkins University. 'Staying active and healthy may be good for your sexual health.' The findings are based on a national health survey of more than 2,000 men, Reuters reports. Nearly 90 per cent of those with erectile dysfunction had cardiovascular disease risk factors such as diabetes, blood pressure, poor cholesterol or smoking. Men who watched three or more hours of TV a day were much more likely to have erectile dysfunction than those who watched less than an hour.
Sexual dysfunction indicates ills
Meanwhile, doctors have been advised to take greater interest in their patients' sex lives, because dysfunction is often an early sign of serious medical conditions such as heart failure or depression. The Canadian-Dutch survey of medical databases found that many sexual problems were linked to ailments ranging from diabetes to Parkinson's, AP reports. Women's sexual problems are not always as obvious as men's, but the researchers say that in one out of every four cases, they indicate an underlying depression.
HIV in testes resilient to drugs
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is able to sidestep antiretroviral drugs by hiding out in the testicles, according to a French study that may explain why the virus is sometimes found in the semen of men on drugs that successfully clear their blood. Even the best antiretrovirals have trouble penetrating the testes, BBCi reports. The Rennes University study, which shows how HIV can thrive in the gonads, could help researchers develop more effective drugs.