Overview
- The peer-reviewed study published Sept. 9, 2026, examined 826 full-time men aged 22–40 and found a dose-response relationship between accumulated workplace psychological stress and worse erectile function.
- Men in the highest-stress group had a 54.37% prevalence of erectile dysfunction and roughly ten times the odds of ED compared with the lowest-stress group.
- The researchers identified a consistent biomarker sequence in which cortisol rises 2–4 weeks before testosterone falls and testosterone falls 4–6 weeks before erectile function worsens, implying a 6–10 week window for intervention.
- Long working hours were the main stress driver in the study—highest-stress men averaged about 65 hours a week versus about 42 hours in the low-stress group—while stronger supervisor support was linked to preserved testosterone and lower ED risk.
- The authors recommend adding workplace-stress screening and hormone testing to clinical evaluations to spot psychogenic ED early, but no guideline or policy changes have been reported so far.