For the first time, a team of researchers has found a specific place in the human genome where variations can raise a person’s risk of erectile dysfunction. The study, Genetic variation in the SIM1 locus is associated with erectile dysfunction, was published Oct. 8 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“This study points to a new research direction for erectile dysfunction that could help us identify other key genetic variants that trigger the disease and could lead to investigations to better understand the precise mechanisms by which they operate,” said Hunter Wessells, chair of urology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and one of the study’s principal investigators. “Hopefully, this will translate into better treatments and, importantly, prevention approaches for the men and their partners who often suffer silently with this condition.
