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Sleep Apnea and Erectile Problems Under 40

A study of 106 men under 40 with erectile problems found weak arterial blood flow in 38.5% of those with sleep apnea and 14.0% of those without. Only 13 men had sleep apnea, so the result is uncertain.

PulseOxTracker Team
Infographic. 38.5% with sleep apnea vs 14.0% without sleep apnea had weak arterial blood flow on ultrasound, among men under 40 with erectile problems. Who was studied: 106 men under 40, median age 30.8, 13 had sleep apnea. What the study found. Weak arterial flow overall: 17.0%, 13 on one side, 5 on both sides. Sleep apnea, after adjusting: odds ratio 6.39, range 1.19 to 34.50. BMI, after adjusting: no link once sleep apnea was in the model. Stress or psychiatric history: no link, neither linked on direct tests. Routine blood tests: no link, cholesterol, HbA1c, testosterone. Venous leak: 39.2%, 31 of 79 men, no tie to BMI or apnea. What it cannot show: one clinic, records reviewed afterwards. Only 13 men had sleep apnea; 6 had no sleep test. No cause. Source: Weerasopone et al. 2026, Sexual Medicine.
What the study found: among 106 men under 40 with erectile problems, weak arterial blood flow on ultrasound was more common in the 13 men with sleep apnea.

Erectile problems in men under 40 are often put down to stress. A September 2026 study looked at blood flow instead. Weak arterial flow was more common in men with obstructive sleep apnea.

Who was in the study?

  • 106 men under 40 who had a penile ultrasound for erectile problems at one US urology clinic between 2010 and 2025, taken from medical records.
  • Median age was 30.8, median BMI 25.7, and 16.0% were obese.
  • 13 men (12.3%) had sleep apnea on record, 7 of them confirmed by a sleep test.

What was measured?

Each man had an injection that triggers an erection, then an ultrasound of both penile arteries. Peak flow below 30 cm/s on a side counted as weak arterial flow.

What did it find?

  • 18 men (17.0%) had weak arterial flow: 13 on one side, 5 on both.
  • With sleep apnea, 38.5% had it, against 14.0% without.
  • Weak flow on both sides: 25.0% of obese men, 2.4% of men with a BMI under 25, no overweight men.
  • Sleep apnea was more common in obese men: 43.8%, against 4.8% of men with a BMI under 25.
  • After adjusting for BMI, stress and psychiatric history, sleep apnea was still linked (odds ratio 6.39) and BMI was not.
  • Stress and psychiatric history were not linked to weak flow on direct comparison, though psychiatric history was linked in the adjusted model, which the authors put down to small numbers.
  • Cholesterol, LDL, HbA1c and testosterone did not pick out the men with weak flow, and the authors call a low HDL link a likely chance result.
  • Venous leak showed up in 31 of 79 men (39.2%), not linked to BMI or sleep apnea.

What doesn't it tell you?

  • Cause. It shows what went together.
  • A precise figure. The odds ratio rests on 13 men and ranges from 1.19 to 34.50.
  • How bad the sleep apnea was. There was no data on breathing events per hour or therapy use.
  • Everyone. One specialist clinic, with no comparison group.
  • What helps. The study did not test weight loss or sleep apnea therapy.

One author consults for drug and device companies.

What can you do with this?

The authors suggest a sleep apnea questionnaire for young men with erectile problems who are obese or otherwise at risk.

If you snore loudly or stop breathing in your sleep, tell your doctor. For more signs, read snoring vs sleep apnea or try the risk check.

An overnight oximeter can't tell you whether you have sleep apnea. It records oxygen and pulse, which you can share with your doctor.

Not a medical device. Does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. Discuss results and changes with a clinician.

References

  1. Weerasopone S, Coady PJ, Walia A, Hernandez BS, Khera M. The impact of obesity and obstructive sleep apnea on vascular hemodynamics in men under 40: a 15-year retrospective cohort study. Sexual Medicine. 2026;14(6):qfag086. doi:10.1093/sexmed/qfag086