Men suffering from impotence should be screened for cardiovascular disease
because it could be an early sign of the illness, Italian researchers said on
Wednesday.
They believe erectile dysfunction (ED) could be a "sentinel of the heart,"
enabling doctors to detect heart disease before symptoms occur.
"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.
In a study of almost 300 men who suffered from impotence and clogged
arteries, 93 percent reported symptoms of ED between one to three years before
experiencing angina -- chest pains and discomfort.
"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,"
Montorsi told Reuters.
He and his team suggested that clogged arteries also have an impact on penile
circulation. ED may develop earlier than heart disease because the penile artery
has a smaller diameter than coronary arteries.
"This is probably the main reason why ED comes before coronary artery
disease," said Montorsi whose findings are reported online by the European Heart
Journal.
The researchers also discovered that the number of cases of erectile
dysfunction was lower in men who had a heart attack involving one clogged blood
vessel and higher in patients with many clogged arteries or chronic coronary
syndrome (CCS).
"Age, multi-vessel coronary involvement, and CCS were independent predictors
of ED," Montorsi said.
Coronary heart disease, a major killer in industrialized countries, occurs
when there is a build up of plaque which clogs up the arteries and restricts
blood flow.
High blood pressure, raised cholesterol levels, smoking, lack of exercise and
diabetes are risk factors.
Cases of erectile dysfunction increase with age. About 5 percent of
40-year-old men and up to 25 percent of 65 year-olds experience ED. It can be
caused by an illness or injury that affects the nerves or blood flow or the side
effects of drugs.
"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," said Dr Graham Jackson, a
cardiologist at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London, in a
statement.
