Erectile Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Health

Medical experts have identified a new link to erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular health issues. Cardiovascular health problems may begin when unsuspecting patients start using anti-impotence medications. Prescription medications such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra may fuel bedroom sparks, but using such drugs has been deemed a serious problem if heart health is not evaluated.

Based on the recent findings in research, erectile dysfunction is being found to be a precursor to heart disease, stroke and angina.  At New York University School of Medicine, Dr. Andrew McCullough, director of male sexual health, fertility and microsurgery is in agreement of these new findings.
The irony behind the theory that erectile dysfunction is a common sign of underlying cardiovascular health issues is how this discovery was made. During clinical trials involving Levitra, Viagra and Cialis the association to heart disease was made when these erectile dysfunction drugs were originally evaluated as cardiovascular treatments.

Although a certain percentage of impotence or erectile difficulties are attributed to psychological impediments or "performance" anxiety, more cases are triggered by arteries that do not expand and as a result, the ability to achieve a full erection is impaired due to inadequate blood flow to the penis.

Based on the findings of Dr. Alan Bank, the medical director of research at St. Paul Heart Clinic in Minnesota, more than 88 percent of patients who suffer from erectile dysfunction disorder are derived from a vascular cause. The link between the heart and ED was noted during a study on circulation, cardiovascular risks and type two diabetes, nearly 40 percent of the participants diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and silent coronary artery disease experienced some degree of erectile dysfunction.

Is Erectile Dysfunction the First Sign of Heart Disease?

Not all patients with erectile dysfunction will develop heart disease, but European Urology recently published clinical results that state men with mild erectile dysfunction suffered from a higher risk of stroke over ten years when compared to individuals without any erectile problems. According to the evaluations, erectile dysfunction is associated with heart conditions derived from the blood vessels shared by the entire body.

The theory can be explained using a kitchen faucet as an example, if the faucet does not flow either way, it is clogged or broken. It is an indication that erectile dysfunction is triggered by a problem related to the penis, being the faucet. Alternatively, the faucet problems may be blamed on the "faucet"—or blood vessel, as in the pipes. As a result, it demonstrates how an erection is the outcome of other health issues.

For starters, high levels of cholesterol may cause the arteries to clog. Also, arterial damage can cause the same complications. Consequently, when blood flow is restricted, the penis is unable to attain sexual stimulation. The body’s clogged pipes can be the source of many health problems.

In another study released by The American Journal of Cardiology, the findings showed that erectile dysfunction (ED) may be triggered by a diminished level of nitric oxide in the penis’ blood vessels. When the demand for blood flow is summoned during sexual stimulation, the body releases its supply of nitric oxide to help the blood vessels expand. In patients with erectile dysfunction, their nitric oxide levels are diminished or low, therefore, the blood vessels are unable to expand.