For the Tongkat Ali believers

This is the worst example I've seen recently of the mainstream media completely mangling scientific findings - not only exaggeration in this case but a complete reversal of the facts. You know I normally like theSun but which ever reporter wrote this story got it completely backwards:

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http://sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=24775
Untreated erectile dysfunction can cause death, says urology specialist

KOTA BARU: Men suffering from erectile dysfunction must seek treatment fast as leaving the problem untreated for two years can be fatal.

Subang Jaya Medical Centre urology specialist Prof Datuk Dr Tan Hui Meng said a scientific study found that men with erectile dysfunction risk getting chronic heart diseases which can cause death in one or two years.

"Erectile dysfunction is closely linked to the health because it is the heart which does the pumping so that men get excited. Men who have difficulty keeping their partners sexually satisfied carry early symptoms of cardiovascular diseases," he told reporters at the 2nd Sexual Health Conference here today.

"Most men aged 40-45 years have this problem. It can only lead to death in two years if it is a continuous problem and left untreated," he said.

However, men aged 20-30 years-old need not worry as the erection problem is only temporary and not over a continuous period.

He urged men with sexually linked diseases to refer to doctors quickly to avoid more serious diseases.

Those suffering from diabetes and hypertension should control their food intake and seek treatment to prevent it from worsening as it can lead to erectile dysfunction. -- BERNAMA

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*bang head on table*
I have seen articles on the same topic from other news agencies in the past (can't be bothered to look them up right now). The REAL story that doctors are advising older men on is that HEART DISEASE can cause erectile dysfunction, not erectile dysfunction causes heart disease. This Dr Tan's comments are slightly unclear as quoted but it still completely boggles my mind as to how the reporter got it completely backward. This is a gold mine for anybody selling Tongkat Ali, fake Viagra, etc.

Anyway...I wrote to my dad about this...I dunno what his and my mum's sex life is like and I don't want to know but I thought I'd give him a heads-up since he's a pastor and people tend to forward a lot of silly stories to him, and sometimes he uses me for fact-checking.