OBJECTIVES: in the medical literature of co-occurrence of erectile dysfunction (ED) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men range from 20 to 80% depending on age, definition and severity of symptoms, and other patient characteristics studied. This study identifies the co-occurrence of these conditions, using healthcare insurance claims data, to provide payers with an estimate of these burdensome conditions.    METHODS: Patients with ED and/or BPH were identified by diagnostic codes in the Thomson Reuters MarketScan® Database from January 1, 2007 to June 30, 2010. Patients in the sample were categorized as having BPH, ED, or co-occurring BPH and ED, and were examined by age group (younger men aged 40-64 and older men 65 and above). RESULTS: Of 685,270 men who met eligibility criteria, 531,486 (77.6%) were younger men and 153,784 (22.4%) were older men.  Overall, 416,228 (60.7%) were diagnosed with ED (mean age 52.5), 336,432 (49.1%) were diagnosed with BPH (mean age 62.5), and 67,390 (9.8%) were diagnosed with both ED and BPH (mean age 60.3) in the study period. Among younger men, co-occurring ED and BPH accounted for 9.1% in men with ED or BPH, 13.4% in men with ED and 21.9% in men with BPH.  Among older men, co-occurring ED and BPH accounted for 12.5% in men with ED or BPH, 34.3% in men with ED, and 16.5% in men with BPH. CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis, co-occurring ED and BPH varied in men by age.  In younger men, co-occurring ED and BPH accounted for a greater percentage of those in the BPH cohort, whereas, in older men, co-occurrence accounted for a greater percentage of the ED cohort. This may be a reflection of coding in the claims data or may suggest that men may not seek treatment for both conditions or prioritize conditions differently as they age.