Sex Problems Could Trigger Heart Trouble

A new study reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that men who suffer from diabetes and also have problems maintaining an erection could be at high risk of having serious heart trouble. The study was conducted by researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Several earlier studies have looked at the link between erectile dysfunction and heart problems in men with type II diabetes and found that the former generally precedes the latter by around three years. These studies have also found that diabetic men with erectile dysfunction have double the risk of having heart disease compared to other diabetics.

The new study by Dr. Peter Chun-Yip Tong and colleagues was aimed at establishing this link without doubt and also confirm if erectile dysfunction could act as an independent and reliable warning signal for impending heart trouble. For this purpose, the researchers recruited 2,306 men with a quarter of them suffering from erectile dysfunction. None of the subjects had any visible symptoms of heart disease or stroke. The study participants were followed for a period of four years.

During this period, 123 men either died due to heart disease, had a heart attack, developed chest pain on account of clogged arteries, or had to undergo a heart bypass or cardiac catheterisation. Further analysis revealed that the chances of men with erectile dysfunction falling in this group were twice those of men with normal sexual abilities.

According to the researchers, the damage to blood vessels caused by high blood sugar levels might be the root cause behind both conditions. They advised men with erectile dysfunction to consult their doctors at the earliest. Dr. Tong said, “The development of erectile dysfunction should alert both patients and healthcare providers to the future risk of coronary heart disease.”

In his opinion, the inner surface of blood vessels could become inflamed due to high blood sugar levels which in turn could cause atherosclerosis – hardening of both heart arteries as well as those supplying blood to the penis. Terming the Hong Kong study as important, Dr. Robert Kloner, Professor of Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California said, “Men should know that erectile dysfunction is a true harbinger of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease.”

The findings of Dr. Tong and colleagues were supported by a second study that was conducted on nearly 300 men across four medical centres in Italy. All the men in this study had both diabetes and initial symptoms of heart disease. The 118 men who had erectile dysfunction at the start of this study were found to be at double the risk of having a “major cardiac event” such as a heart attack or stroke over the next four years.

At the same time, the study also found that regardless of erectile dysfunction, men who were taking cholesterol-lowering medications cut their risk of cardiac events by a third. Effect of Viagra, taken by some of the men with erectile dysfunction was also checked by the researchers. They found a reduction in risk but could not find strong evidence of any benefit on account of very few subjects.

Based on the study, the British Heart Foundation advised men with erectile dysfunction to take a consultation with their GP. “Sadly, a lot of men with erectile dysfunction ignore it instead of seeking help and support. Reporting erectile dysfunction could help them to access tests and treatments that will lower their chances of having a heart attack or stroke,” a spokesman for the foundation said.

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