Erectile dysfunction and heart conditions
By Arvind M. Dhople, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Florida Tech
Erectile dysfunction – the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex – can be an early warning sign of current or future heart problems. Likewise, if you have heart disease, getting the right treatment might help with erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction affects more than 30 million men in the country between 40 and 75 years of age. By now, most people are familiar with the factors that can increase the risk of having a heart attack; gaining too much weight, having high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels, smoking and not exercising enough.
In a recent study, researchers say they have documented another risk factor that could help identify men at a greatest risk of heart problems: Among a group of 1,900 men aged 60 to 80, those with erectile dysfunction were twice as likely as men without the condition to have a heart attack, stroke, or die of a heart problem.
Around 20% of men over age 20 experience erectile dysfunction in the U.S., and the rates are higher among older men. The causes of the condition can vary and include stress-related psychological factors as well as physical and biological factors involving blood flow and nerves. Previous studies have linked similar risk factors responsible for contributing to heart disease to erectile dysfunction as well, including obesity, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity and smoking.
But the researchers have had difficulty figuring out whether erectile dysfunction is a symptom of heart-related circulation problems, or whether the condition is itself a possible contributor to heart disease. In the latest study the researchers did the most rigorous analysis yet to account for the potentially confounding factors. They ultimately found that erectile dysfunction is indeed a risk factor for heart disease. They adjusted for the effects of obesity, smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, among other factors, which can contribute to both erectile dysfunction and heart disease. Even after accounting for these factors, they found that dysfunction and heart disease. Even after accounting for these factors, they found that erectile dysfunction contributed independently to a higher risk of heart problem.
So, they can say with certainty now that erectile dysfunction has an independent risk predictor value among the routine risk factors like smoking, cholesterol and blood pressure. The diagnosis of erectile dysfunction adds to the risk profile on top of these factors.
The researchers say that the results should serve as a warning to both men and the doctors who treat them. That means that urologists who normally treat men for the condition should be open to referring these patients to heart expects, who can assess them for possible signs of early heart disease.
They stress that treating erectile dysfunction is not a treatment for heart disease. Medication like Viagra can only treat problems with priapism, but do not address underlying heart-related issues, which is why men with erection problems should be encouraged to see a heart specialist.
But identifying men who might be at higher risk of heart problems, even if they aren’t experiencing any symptoms, could save lives. If men whose hearts are at higher risk are identified early, thanks to erectile dysfunction, then that could potentially lead to lower rates of heart disease and heart-related deaths.
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