Furthermore, the research by Dr. John Spangler of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center showed that quitting makes only a small difference. Former smokers with hypertension were still 11 times more likely to be impotent than non-smokers.

"Everybody knows that smoking is a contributory factor to impotence, but it's not really known how much. It's nice to have a number when you're a physician seeing a patient," said Spangler.

Spangler explained that smoking causes clogging of the arteries in the pelvis area, which reduces the flow of blood to the genitals. In addition, chemicals in tobacco may also affect the body's regulation of the male hormone testosterone.

The study's findings were presented at the annual conference of the American Society of Hypertension in San Francisco, Calif.

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