Men suffering from poor cardiovascular health may develop erectile dysfunction later in life, compared to those with a healthy heart, according to new research by Northwestern University.
Symptoms of coronary heart disease include chest pain, heart attacks and heart failure. It's caused by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries which can block the heart’s blood supply.
Researchers looked at how risk factors for the disease, or having poor cardiovascular health, might impact on sex. These included high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, high blood sugar, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and smoking.
Abbi Lane-Cordova, lead study author and preventive medicine researcher at Northwestern University, “We knew that erectile dysfunction was considered an early indicator of vascular disease that might occur before heart disease was diagnosed by a doctor.
“Men may avoid erectile dysfunction the same way they may avoid heart disease.” Examining 1,136 men for a
decade from their early 60s, the researchers discovered that all the men who had developed cardiovascular disease by the end of the study had erectile dysfunction, while just 15 per cent of men with the lowest risk for cardiovascular disease did.
Coronary heart disease can reduce blood circulation to the penis, and it’s often been associated with erectile dysfunction in men over 60 years.
In the study, the 46 per cent of men with erectile dysfunction were more likely to have suffered poor blood flow through their arteries at the start of the research.
Previous evidence has linked risk of cardiovascular disease to higher likelihood of erectile dysfunction.
It’s thought to be because it leads to poor working of the blood vessels, which in turn leads to disruption of blood flow to the penis.
Treatment for the condition includes lifestyle changes, medication and surgery. You can prevent it by eating healthy balanced diet, avoiding sedentary lifestyle and smoking.
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