Erectile Dysfunction Signals Risk of Heart Disease

Erectile dysfunction should be considered an important risk factor for complications from heart disease. A study of more than 1,500 men with heart disease found that those who reported erection difficulties were twice as likely as the others to suffer a heart attack in the next two years. They were also twice as likely to die. The investigators suggest that atherosclerosis clogging the arteries may show up earlier in the smaller arteries of the penis than in larger arteries supplying the heart. They strongly recommend that men being treated for ED should be referred for cardiology work-ups that could help save their lives.
[Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, March 15, 2010]