Erectile dysfunction and its relationship to coronary heart disease

Overview

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the inability to achieve and/or sustain an erection sufficiently to permit satisfactory sexual intercourse. The association between coronary artery disease and erectile dysfunction has been proven. We know that ED and cardiovascular disease share many important and common risk factors. The same endothelial injuries that occur in the coronary arteries are likely to occur in the cavernosal arteries. Therefore, an assessment of erectile status may indeed give clues to clinically silent yet progressive coronary disease, as well as to undiagnosed hypertension, or diabetes. For pharmacological treatment, selective inhibitors of phosphodiesterase 5 are available (sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil). The advantages and potential risk of this treatment are discussed. Other studies have shown beneficial effects of sildenafil on pulmonary circulation and on the load capacity in adults with heart failure.

Key words:
erectile dysfunction, coronary artery disease, risk factors