In 12 percent of men with diabetes, erectile dysfunction is actually the first sign of the diabete.

The researchers found that rates of erectile dysfunction much higher in men with diabetes, however more than 50 percent of men with diabetes in the study reported that they were "never able" or "sometimes able" to achieve and maintain an erection.

Erectile dysfunction commonly acquires in men older than 40 who are affected by one of these conditions. Symptoms come gradually and progress with time. Men with type 1 diabetes are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction at an earlier age, since they've diabetes for a longer time period. Men who have type 2 diabetes, which usually arises in adulthood, may not feel the erection trouble until later in life.