Erectile Dysfunction may indicate increased Cardiovascular Risk in younger patients

Ludhiana, April 14, 2014: Evidence shows that erectile dysfunction could be an important warning signal of cardiovascular disease in younger men.  That means that doctors treating men for erectile dysfunction can play a critical role in monitoring and reducing a patient’s cardiovascular risk, even when the patient has no symptoms, said Dr Rajeev Sood, Professor & Head, Department of Urology, PGIMER at RML Hospital, New Delhi, while addressing the Medical Faculty at the CMCH. Dr Rajeev Sood who is also the Honorary Urologist to the President of India and a Member of the Medical Council of India, reiterated that “Erectile dysfunction often occurs in the presence of silent, non-symptomatic cardiovascular disease and, hence, this is an opportunity for cardiovascular risk reduction. There is evidence that supports that erectile dysfunction can be a significant independent predictor of cardiovascular disease in younger men”.

Dr Rajeev Sood said patients with erectile dysfunction should undergo a thorough evaluation that incorporates a physical examination, including some blood work, patient and family history, and a look at lifestyle factors.  That evaluation will help stratify the patient’s cardiovascular risk and guide the next steps in evaluation and treatment. He said that experts have been considering the relationship between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease for a while, but a recent data from the scientific literature have confirmed the linkage between the two.

Patients with erectile dysfunction have an increased risk of cardio-vascular disease and it has become a “curtain raiser” to address the risk factors for coronary artery disease. Dr Kim Mammen, Professor & Head of Urology at CMCH quoted from his study that more than 70% of patients with coronary artery disease also have erectile dysfunction, thereby supporting the correlation between the two. The Department of Urology at CMCH is accredited to be a referral center with all the facilities for the treatment of patients with erectile dysfunction by the Men’s Health Society of India [MHSI] and the International Society for Men’s Health [ISMH]. Erectile Dysfunction can now be evaluated and assessed by a set of special tests, treated successfully with medications and in a few selected situations surgical intervention will help, according to Dr Kim Mammen.