According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, ED affects approximately 18 million men aged 20 years or older in the US. ED and CVD share a number of risk factors like smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure. Physiologically, the link between ED and CVD can be explained by the fact that the penis and the heart are both vascular organs that are subject to atherosclerosis or thickening of the arteries. Since atherosclerosis affects the entire body, the small arteries in the penis can become blocked sooner than the larger arteries in the heart. Blocked arteries reduce blood flow which can result in a reduced ability to have an erection.

Even though the study showed that ED does not improve risk prediction beyond the Framingham risk score, an ED assessment can be done at very low cost and presents no risk to patients (unlike other novel CVD screening tests), said Araujo. Previous work from our study shows that a simple single question ED measure correlates well with an independent physician ™s assessment. Therefore, health professionals should consider asking about ED in their older male patients, continued Araujo. Also, when a patient presents with ED, health professionals should work the patient up for CVD as there may be a window of opportunity for men to improve their health before a CVD event occurs.

Source: New England Research Institutes, Inc.