Erectile dysfunction increases the likelihood of heart attack, stroke, and other diseases of the cardiovascular system. This was confirmed by the results of a study with 1914 men.
American cardiologists have identified a link between erectile dysfunction and the likelihood of developing various diseases of the heart and blood vessels. For men who reported having difficulty achieving an erection, the risk of these conditions doubled regardless of other risk factors - blood cholesterol, smoking habit, and blood pressure. The article was published in the journal Circulation.
According to scientists, the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and difficulty with erection overlap in many ways. These include obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
The authors of the work analyzed data on the health of 1914 men aged 60 to 74 years, their health indicators were monitored for four years. All men participated in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study and provided data on whether they experienced erectile dysfunction. The primary goal of the MESA study was to detect early signs of atherosclerosis.
Over four years of observation, the study participants experienced 115 serious cardiovascular disorders, including heart attacks, strokes, cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death - in such a situation, the patient loses consciousness within an hour after the onset of acute symptoms. 6, 3% of men with erectile dysfunction and only 2, 6% of men without problems in this area suffered from diseases. Then the researchers took into account the impact of risk factors, but the ratio remained almost unchanged: men with erectile dysfunction were twice as likely to become victims of heart disease.
Study lead author Michael Blaha says, "Our findings show that erectile dysfunction itself indicates a significant risk of developing cardiovascular disease." According to the scientist, erection difficulties reported by the patient should be an important signal to the doctor, even if the person does not have other cardiovascular risk factors. In this case, the patient may need more thorough examinations, which will make it possible to notice the pathology of the heart in the early stages. For men who first encountered regular erectile dysfunction, scientists recommend visiting a cardiologist.
Earlier, Korean researchers suggested correcting erectile dysfunction with a remedy based on spider venom from the genus Phoneutria.