Erectile Dysfunction Predicts Cardiovascular Disease

Research reveals that erectile dysfunction is more than a sexual disease today. It is now linked to cardiovascular disease as well. According to a 2005 study conducted by Austria’s Department of Urology and Andrology, moderate to severe erectile dysfunction may be one of the initial signs of heart disease or stroke.

ED and Your Heart

Erectile dysfunction is caused due to an improper supply of blood to the penis, which makes it difficult to achieve or sustain an erection. This is exactly what happens in a heart disease. The hardening or clogging of arteries, also known as arthrosclerosis, may block blood flow to different organs of the body, including penis and male reproductive organs.A Mayo Clinic study finds that men with ED are 80 percent at a higher risk of developing heart disease compared to those without ED. The study concludes that men with ED, aged between 40 and 49 years, are twice at a risk of heart disease. Younger men may need to consider ED a harbinger of coronary disease because ED could mean there are problems with blood flow and blood vessels.Even men with minor erectile dysfunction could face the risk of coronary heart disease, including those who have had no history of cardiovascular disorders. The Heart Foundation suggests that those with ED should get a heart check-up to identify future risk of cardiovascular disease.

Risk Factors

Erectile dysfunction predicts cardiovascular disease. Both share same risk factors, including:

• High blood pressure for an extended period of time risks damaging the lining of your arteries. This could cause problems with blood flow to different organs of the body. According to a 2012 study conducted by Georgia Health Sciences University’s Department of Physiology, about 30 percent of males with hypertension show signs of erectile dysfunction.
• Diabetes is another condition that is associated with both heart disease and ED. According to a research study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, type 2 diabetics are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and three times greater risk of ED compared to those without diabetes.
• High cholesterol can clog the arteries and block blood flow. This is a common condition in heart disease as well as ED.
• Smoking damages arteries, raising the risk of atherosclerosis and thus heart disease. According to a 2006 study, there is an association between smoking and ED.
• Depression is linked to cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction. According to a 2010 study conducted by the University of Florence-Andrology Unit, those with severe depression symptoms had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Obesity or excess weight can cause blood circulation problems, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and sexual dysfunction.