A study made by the University of Adelaide in Australia may spell bad business for manufacturers of Viagra, Cialis and other medication that allows men suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED) to rise to the occasion again.

According to the study authored by Professor Gary Wittert, some males who have difficulty achieving and sustaining an erection could go back to hard days by lifestyle changes such as imbibing lesser alcohol, more physical activity, better nutrition, cut weight and more sleep. The study has 810 male respondents.

Mr Wittert said the study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, discovered that most of the men were able to overcome their erection problem naturally, suggesting factors that contribute to ED could be modified.

In Australia, about 31 per cent of males develop some form of ED at hits them between the ages of 35 and 80.

Among them are diabetics, who also are at risk of other ailments such as hypertension.

However, a separate U.S. study said that men with ED could experience some improvements in achieving erection due to their cholesterol-lowering drugs or statins that coax blood vessels into dilating properly and improve the flow of blood to the male genital.

The information was shared at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions by Dr John Kostis, director of the Cardiovascular Institute and associate dean for cardiovascular research at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Their basis was analysis of 11 studies which said that erection function scored went up 3.4 points in males who used stations from 14 to 17.4, which is a 24 per cent increase.

Mr Kostis said, quoted by Healio.com, "The increase in erectile function scored with statins was approximately one-half of what has been reported with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors like Viagra and Cialis." He added the statin's effect was bigger than that of testosterone or lifestyle modification.

However, other groups insist that statins have dangerous side effects.