Poor long-term blood sugar control causes many cases of erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes. Blood glucose monitoring is an important part of any diabetes management plan. If you have diabetes, it’s important to check your blood sugar levels as prescribed by your doctor.

If you smoke, it's important to quit - for your overall health and because it's linked to erectile dysfunction. If you quit smoking, you may prevent more severe erectile dysfunction from developing.

Being overweight or obese - which is common especially in patients with type 2 diabetes - can also lead to erectile dysfunction, so eat a healthy diet and ensure you're getting enough exercise.

Treatment options for erectile dysfunction include medications that increase blood flow to the penis, a vacuum-constriction device (also called a penis pump) or penile implants.

Erectile dysfunction is often linked to other conditions that are common in men with diabetes, including high blood pressure and heart disease. If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction, you should seek help from your healthcare provider - not just for the therapy that’s there to treat it, but also because it’s a warning sign that there may be other vascular problems in your future.