A new study has said that men suffering from erectile dysfunction are at greater risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

Australian experts have found that men aged 20 years and older diagnosed with erectile dysfunction had more than double the incidence of cardiovascular events than those with normal sexual ability.

According to an analysis by Melbourne researchers published in the Medical Journal of Australia, after the first incident of erectile dysfunction in men aged 55 and older, 2 percent had a major stroke or heart attack within a year and 11 percent within five years.

The risk of a cardiovascular event after developing erectile dysfunction was similar to that of being a current smoker, said the researchers, Carol Holden and Carolyn Allan, of Andrology Australia, and Robert McLachlan, of Melbourne's Prince Henry's Institute.

It has been reported that the risk was much greater in younger men and declined with age.

The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that experts warned that the failure of men to seek advice on erectile dysfunction meant they "may be missing a vital warning of impending cardiovascular disease."

In diabetic men, some studies estimate the prevalence of erectile dysfunction is as high as 89 percent.

The study further reported that erectile dysfunction may be a symptom with undiagnosed diabetes and suggested the condition should be discussed with men suffering from the disease. (With inputs from Agencies)