Dr Leen Antonio, lead researcher and assistant professor of endocrinology at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, said: ‘Erectile dysfunction and poor morning erections are associated with increased mortality.’
‘Loss of morning erections are a sign your arteries are not functioning properly,’ Dr Geoff Hackett, the ex-president of the British Society for Sexual Medicine, told The Sun.
‘That means you are at significant risk of a heart attack or stroke within three to five years.
‘This applies to celibate, single men — not just those who have a partner.’
Nocturnal penile erections occur during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep – the phase during which we dream.
Some men may experience nocturnal penile tumescence during non-REM sleep as well, particularly older men. The reason for this is unclear.
The reason men wake up with an erection may be related to the fact we often wake up coming out of REM sleep.
Since there are several sleep cycles per night, men can have as many as five erections per night and these can last up to 20 or 30 minutes.
It comes after MailOnline reported that Boots has started selling its own-brand Viagra, in a move hailed by doctors amid the cost of living crisis.
The chemist now offers a four-pack of impotence pills for £14.99 — £5 cheaper than the original version.
Both products contain sildenafil, which expands blood vessels and boost blood flow to the genitals.
Boots hopes the move will ‘increase accessibility’ for men struggling with erectile dysfunction as economic pressures ‘continue to rise’.
Experts welcomed it as ‘good news’ given the worsening cost of living crisis as it gives men a cheaper over-the-counter option for men. – Daily Mail
