Long-term computer use for leisure was found to be associated with lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormone in men

Spending a lot of time on the computer may be linked to an increased risk of erectile dysfunction in men, researchers have said.

A study of more than 200,000 men indicates that for every additional 1.2 hours spent using a computer, the chances of experiencing erectile dysfunction increased by 3.57 times.

The analysis, published in Andrology, also suggests these men showed a stronger genetic tendency for leisure computer use.

Long-term computer use for leisure was found to be associated with lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormone in men, which stimulates the production of sperm.

However, the researchers said there was no evidence to suggest that other sitting activities such as watching television or driving for leisure increased the risk of erectile dysfunction.

They said further research is needed to understand the association between computer use and erectile dysfunction risk.

  • jeffw@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Too lazy to find the article and read the whole thing…. Anyone else care to check if they controlled for time spent viewing porn online? I wonder if that’s a lurking variable here

  • Cap@kbin.social
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    8 months ago

    The authors wrote: “Although the specific mechanism of erectile dysfunction caused by computer use has not been clarified in the present study, the damage of sedentary behaviour to erectile function appears to be clear, which needs to attract public attention.

    The study also says that for every 1.2 hours spent using the computer the chances of experiencing ED increase by 3.57. I’m starting to formulate a theory as to the mechanism of ED caused by computer use. Stick with me here. The longer men sit in front of a computer the greater the chances they view porn and “bust a nut” (I believe that’s the technical term) thus increasing the perception that they are suffering from ED because as we all know, when you ask someone if they watch porn on their computer the answer is almost always “no”.

    I am not a scientist or formally educated and suffer from lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormones. The edits were to fix spelling errors. Probably some still lingering around.

  • scoobford
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    8 months ago

    According to this, I an 178.5x more likely than the general population to suffer ED.

    The lowest number I found for the prevalence of ED is 3%. This means that there is a 503.55% chance I have ED.

    We definitely need to have a conversation about increasingly sedentary lifestyles and their health impact, but this is some bullshit.

  • Septimaeus@infosec.pub
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    8 months ago

    TV, video games, and other sedentary activities are correlated as well (though the effect might be amplified by the use of computers for activities that might induce stress or anxiety). I think the key takeaway might be less “avoid computers” and more “don’t sit for too long.” But that’s none of my business.