Erectile dysfunction can herald heart problems

Erectile dysfunction as a warning for heart disease

30/01/2013

Australian researchers have found in a study that erectile dysfunction can be a first warning sign of an approaching heart attack. „Erectile problems can be a first warning of cardiovascular disorders“, summed up the research team in the science magazine „Plos Medicine“. Other heart diseases can be announced by erectile dysfunction. If there is still a heartache or high blood pressure, a doctor should be consulted promptly.

Warning on cardiovascular risks
Problems of erection can indicate a higher cardiovascular risk. The more pronounced the erectile dysfunction is, the higher the risk of suffering a heart attack or other coronary heart disease soon, according to researcher led by study leader Emily Banks of the „Australian National University“ in Canberra (Australia) in the course of a meta-study. „Erectile dysfunction could be used as an early warning for cardiovascular disease“, Banks reports, referring to its own research results.

For the study, the researchers analyzed the data of about 95,000 men. All subjects had already passed the age of 45 years. Between the years 2006 and 2009, the men had completed an anonymous questionnaire. Among other things, the question was asked as to whether erectile dysfunction or phased erection problems have come to an end and, if so, to what extent and how they already exist.

Men with erection problems died earlier
Later, the scientists identified the reasons for hospital admissions. Death data as well as surgical backgrounds of the study participants were included in the evaluation. In the end, it was found that a total of 7855 men with heart problems or manifested cardiovascular disease were hospitalized. Exactly 2304 men died during the study phase.

The subsequent analysis showed that already a mild erectile dysfunction can announce a subsequent heart disease. Men who did not suffer from clinically recognized heart disease but had erectile dysfunction suffered from heart disease such as heart attack, arteriosclerosis, or heart failure more frequently than other subjects later in life. Also showed that men with erectile dysfunction had a shorter life than men without erection problems.

Note but no direct connection
The researchers emphasize in the conclusion that it „There is no direct correlation between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular events“. However, the disorder could serve as the first warning in medical practice to detect heart disease early. Both conditions can have the same causes as arteriosclerosis. For this reason, affected people with erectile problems should also consult a specialist in cardiology.

Doctors have known for some time that erectile dysfunction can point to heart problems. What is new is that even mild forms of dysfunction can serve as an indicator of heart disease. Also the extent can be limited diagnostically very well according to the researchers.

Potency disorders are more of a psyche, especially at a young age. Physicians only speak of functional erectile dysfunction when patients were unable to achieve an erection for more than six months in 70 percent of erection attempts. Although suffering is widely regarded as a taboo topic, researchers assume that around five million men are affected in Germany alone. In about 80 percent of the cases there are also organic causes. While only a few young men suffer from the disorder, one in four people over the age of 65 are affected by erectile dysfunction. In many cases sufferers also suffer from type II diabetes, hypertension or heart failure. The main triggers are vices such as obesity, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption and smoking. Even drugs such as beta-blockers can cause as a side effect potency disorders. In addition to the physical background, psychological conditions should always be considered medically. (Sb)

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