February 27th, 2015
Research reveals that erectile dysfunction is more than a sexual disease today. It is now linked to cardiovascular disease as well. According to a 2005 study conducted by Austria’s Department of Urology and Andrology, moderate to severe erectile dysfunction may be one of the initial signs of heart disease or stroke.
Erectile dysfunction is caused due to an improper supply of blood to the penis, which makes it difficult to achieve or sustain an erection. This is exactly what happens in a heart disease. The hardening or clogging of arteries, also known as arthrosclerosis, may block blood flow to different organs of the body, including penis and male reproductive organs.
A Mayo Clinic study finds that men with ED are 80 percent at a higher risk of developing heart disease compared to those without ED. The study concludes that men with ED, aged between 40 and 49 years, are twice at a risk of heart disease. Younger men may need to consider ED a harbinger of coronary disease because ED could mean there are problems with blood flow and blood vessels.
Even men with minor erectile dysfunction could face the risk of coronary heart disease, including those who have had no history of cardiovascular disorders. The Heart Foundation suggests that those with ED should get a heart check-up to identify future risk of cardiovascular disease.
Erectile dysfunction predicts cardiovascular disease. Both share same risk factors, including: