Erectile dysfunction predicts heart problems: study (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Problems with maintaining anerection may foretell heart trouble ahead for men with type 2diabetes, two new studies show.

A number of past studies have found a connection betweenerectile dysfunction (ED) and heart disease. But the newfindings, published in the Journal of the American College ofCardiology, confirm that ED often precedes and predicts hearttrouble.

This, say researchers, suggests that men with ED should beespecially vigilant about controlling heart disease riskfactors.

In one study, Italian researchers found that among 291 menwith type 2 diabetes, those who also had ED had twice the riskof suffering a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascularcomplication over the next four years.

At the start of the study, all of the men had had evidenceof "silent" heart disease -- meaning they had plaque buildup intheir arteries on imaging tests, but no heart disease symptoms,such as chest pain. Having ED seemed to pinpoint those men whowere at particular risk of a complication.

There was some good news as well, however: Takingcholesterol-lowering statins appeared to reduce the risksassociated with ED, according to the researchers, led by Dr.Carmine Gazzaruso of the Clinical Institute "Beato Matteo" inVigevano, Italy.

In the second study, Hong Kong researchers found that amongdiabetic men with no indications of heart disease at theoutset, those with ED were 58 percent more likely to die ofheart disease, or have a heart attack or other non-fatalcardiac "event."

"Erectile dysfunction is an important warning sign offuture adverse heart events or even death," study chief Dr.Peter Chun-Yip Tong, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong,told Reuters Health.

The main reason, he explained, is that ED is an earlymanifestation of the blood vessel damage caused by diabetes andother risk factors for heart disease, such as high bloodpressure.

Tong recommended that all men with diabetes tell theirdoctor if they begin to have problems getting or maintaining anerection. They can then have a comprehensive assessment oftheir cardiovascular risk factors -- such as measurements oftheir blood pressure, cholesterol, waist size and kidneyfunction -- and work on getting those under control.

Indeed, the Italian study suggests that diabetic men withED can cut some of their heart risks by using a statin.Gazzaruso's team found that among patients with ED, those whowere on a statin had a one-third lower chance of suffering aheart attack or other complication during the study.

There was also evidence that men taking a class of ED drugscalled PDE-5 inhibitors, which includes Viagra, had lower heartrisks. According to the researchers, this may reflect the factthat the drugs improve the function of the inner lining ofartery walls.

The bottom line, according to Tong, is that men withdiabetes and ED should have all of their modifiable heart riskfactors "identified early and treated aggressively."

SOURCE: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, May27, 2008.