Heart disease follows male loss of heart

Thursday May 20th, 2010

Men who are impotent should be checked for heart disease, researchers warned yesterday.

The loss of potency may come just two or three years before heart disease shows itself, according to a major study.

Experts said as many as two thirds of men who develop heart disease will have earlier experienced impotency.

A man in his 30s with the problem faces a 14 per cent increased risk of becoming a heart patient within the next decade, according to the study by cardiologist Dr Graham Jackson, from London, UK.

Dr Jackson worked with doctors from Italy, Greece, the USA and Greece to identify and analyse the findings of more than a hundred studies of the problem.

Dr Jackson said the build up of plaque in blood vessels might affect potency before causing problems in the larger arteries around the heart.

He said: "This theory may underpin the findings that men with erectile dysfunction seldom report overt symptoms of coronary artery disease, but those with coronary artery disease often report pre-existing erectile dysfunction symptoms."

He added: "The evidence supporting the relationship between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease has continued to increase over recent years and yet recognition of the association remains limited among healthcare professionals and the general public.

"Recognising the relationship will improve and save lives. That is why wider awareness of the links is essential."

Erectile dysfunction and coronary artery disease prediction: evidence-based guidance and consensus. Jackson et al. IJCP. 64.7, 848-857. (June 2010). DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2010.02410.x

Tags: Europe | Heart Health | Men’s Health | North America | UK News

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