Men who have sexual problems may want to visit their doctor, and not just for the “little blue pill” or other medicine for erectile dysfunction (ED). Impotence can signify greater medical problems, including the beginning stages of heart disease.
Normally, as blood flow increases (such as during sexual activity), nitric oxide released by the inner lining of the blood vessels helps the blood vessels to relax and expand, causing the penis to grow and harden. In ED, the nitric oxide is not released and the blood vessels don’t expand, a condition called atherosclerosis.
Nitric oxide also serves to fight arterial hardening, a leading factor in heart disease. The occurrence of atherosclerosis in the penis may serve as an early warning that other blood vessels, including coronary arteries, are experiencing circulatory problems.
Several recent studies have shown a connection between the two conditions.
Earlier this year, researchers in Minnesota published a study about arterial expansion. The study, led by Dr. Alan Bank of the St. Paul Heart Clinic, studied 57 men. Just over half of the group (30 men) had ED, while the remaining 27 had normal sexual function. None of the participants
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It is also important to keep in mind that not everyone with ED will have heart problems, and vice versa. Heart disease often gives no warning signs before the patient suffers a heart attack.
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was in a high-risk category (high blood pressure, smoking, or diabetes) for heart disease. The researchers gave each participant nitroglycerine tablets, which help to expand the arteries. The researchers measured the response in the participants’ brachial (arm) arteries. The arteries of the men who had ED did not expand as much as those of the control group. The researchers theorized that this would also hold true for other blood vessels, including those connected to the heart.
ViagraTM (sildenafil citrate) and similar medicines help increase nitric oxide levels in the blood vessels. In fact, ViagraTM was first studied as a possible treatment for heart disease. However, it worked much better for sexual dysfunction than for the heart problems, and the manufacturers shifted their research and marketing focus.
The link between ED and heart disease works both ways. The second study involves residents of Rancho Bernardo, California, who were assessed for heart disease risk factors in the early 1970s. A follow-up study published in April of 2004 showed that men in this study who had more risk factors for heart disease were more likely to have ED later in life.
Two further studies, the Massachusetts Male Aging Study and the Harvard Health Professional Follow-up Study, together analyzed more than 33,000 men between the ages of 51 and 90. It showed that men who got more physical activity and were in better shape had better erectile functioning. Lowering the risk factors for heart disease by reducing cholesterol levels, losing weight, exercising, or quitting smoking, may also lower their likelihood of suffering from ED.
Treating the ED with pills such as ViagraTM may mask or even intensify the underlying heart and vascular issues. Conversely, if a patient has heart trouble, he may wonder about his ability to have sex. Doctors can use the opportunity to discuss both conditions with patients and inform them of the connection and ways to reduce their risk.
It is also important to keep in mind that not everyone with ED will have heart problems, and vice versa. Heart disease often gives no warning signs before the patient suffers a heart attack.
