Impotence Could Mean Heart Disease

A study conducted by Italian researchers has found men suffering from impotence to be at a greater risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease. Researchers feel such men should be screened early to detect possibility of the disease. They believe Erectile Dysfunction (ED) acts as a “sentinel of the heart,” to allow doctors to detect and start treatment for heart disease well before actual symptoms appear.

The researchers studied nearly 300 men suffering from impotence and clogged arteries before arriving at this conclusion. 93% of the men under study reported angina or chest pains and heart discomfort after suffering from ED for around one to three years.

Coronary heart disease is one of the biggest causes for medical fatalities in industrial nations. The major reason behind the disease is the build up of plaque which clogs arteries and restricts blood flow. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, raised cholesterol levels, smoking, lack of exercise and diabetes.

Cases of erectile dysfunction are becoming wide spread and increase with age. Around 5% of men in their forties and 25% of men in their mid to late sixties suffer from ED today. The condition can be caused either by illness or an injury affecting the nerves or blood flow or can happen as a result of drug side effects.

“A strict medical surveillance program should be mandatory in patients with ED, multiple risk factors and no clinical artery disease,” said Dr Piero Montorsi of the Institute of Cardiology at the University of Milan. “Many patients with ED and multiple risk factors (for cardiovascular disease) are at a higher risk of developing, sooner or later, a coronary acute event,” Dr. Montorsi added.

The research team found clogged arteries could also have an effect on penile blood circulation and the smaller diameter of the penile arteries as compared to coronary arteries could be the reason for faster development of ED as compared to heart disease. “This is probably the main reason why ED comes before coronary artery disease,” said Dr. Montorsi.

Reported online by the European Heart Journal, the study also revealed incidences of erectile dysfunction were lesser for those men whose heart attack was caused by a single clogged blood vessel as compared to much higher incidences for men with multiple clogged arteries or chronic coronary syndrome (CSS). “Age, multi-vessel coronary involvement, and CCS were independent predictors of ED,” Dr. Montorsi said.

Commenting on the research findings, Dr. Graham Jackson, a cardiologist at Guy’s and ST. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London said, “All men with ED and no cardiac symptoms need a detailed cardiac assessment, blood pressure measurement, fasting lipid profile and glucose, as well as lifestyle advice regarding weight and exercise.”

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