Diabetes can increase the likelihood of developing ED but doesn’t make it a foregone conclusion, and there are steps that men with diabetes can take to prevent or treat ED. The two main reasons why men with diabetes tend to develop erectile disorder include nerve damage (neuropathy) and cardiovascular complications (atherosclerosis, or arterial clogging that can obstruct blood flow to the penis, thus preventing erections). Certain factors can increase the risk of men with diabetes having ED, like the duration of diabetes, obesity and other health complications, smoking, and the use of specific blood pressure medications.