LONDON: Smoking can render a person impotent, according to a new study. Men who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day are 40 per cent more likely to be affected by erectile dysfunction, according to the Australian study where researchers covered more than 8,000 men in the age group of 16-59.
The study revealed that one in 10 of those covered had problems in maintaining an erection. More than 25 per cent of those interviewed were smokers with a fifth smoking 20 or fewer cigarettes a day and one in 16 smoking more than 20 a day.
The researchers found that men who smoked up to 20 cigarettes a day were 24 per cent more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction. This rate rose to 39 per cent among those who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day.
The findings of the study, which was part of the Australian Study of Health and Relationships, were published in the specialist publication, Tobacco Control, from the British Medical Journal.
Chris Millet, from Imperial College London, who was associated with the study, said these findings should persuade male smokers to quit.
He, however, said the research team has not concluded that smoking causes erectile dysfunction. He suggests more work on the topic.
The researchers also found that apart from smoking, older age and incidence of cardiovascular disease were associated with erectile problems.
Drinking in moderation could prove to be a help in cutting down the risk.
Another study carried out in California in the U.S. indicated that smog tends to reduce sperm count. In a survey of 48 men in Los Angeles, who had donated their sperm to a sperm bank at least 10 times in a two-year period, showed that their sperm counts fell as ozone levels in the air increased.
In a report in the New Scientists, the researchers concluded that ozone was the only pollutant that appeared to be linked to decreased sperm production.
