Can diabetes-related sexual and urologic problems be prevented? These issues appear to be more common in men who have poor glucose control, have high levels of blood cholesterol, have high blood pressure, are overweight, are older than 40, who smoke and who are physically inactive.
Men with diabetes can lower their risk of sexual and urologic issues by keeping their blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels close to the target numbers their healthcare provider recommends.
Being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight can also help prevent these and other long-term complications of diabetes. For those who smoke, quitting will lower the risk of developing sexual and urologic problems due to nerve damage and will also lower the risk for other health problems related to diabetes, including heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.
Talk with your doctor about these issues and work with her to create a plan for getting these health factors under control. Preventing diabetes complications is always preferable to treating them later, so don't delay if any of these issues affect you.
Source: National Institiutes of Health
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Health Connection, August 2013
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