NEW YORK - Failing erections may be a harbinger of heart disease in some men, according toa review of a number of studies -- but heart-healthy lifestyle changes or cholesterol-loweringdrugs could have a positive impact on men's sexual health.
Scientists have long known about the link between impotence, or erectile dysfunction, andheart health. Although there is no proof so far, a common theory is that arteries supplying thepenis with blood during erections may clog up earlier than those in the heart, which are larger,thus providing an early warning of possible later coronary artery disease.
To address the connection between the two, Jia-Yi Dongof Soochow University in Suzhou, China, and colleaguescombined twelve earlier studies of impotence and heartdisease, covering nearly 37,000 men."This meta-analysis ... suggests that erectile dysfunction significantly increases the risk ofcardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke and all-cause mortality, and theincrease is probably independent of conventional cardiovascular risk factors," they wrote in theJournal of the American College of Cardiology.
They found that men with erectile problems had a 48 percent increase in their risk ofdeveloping heart disease, and also had higher death rates than men who didn't have sexualproblems.
Traditional risk factors such as smoking, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure didn'texplain the link, strengthening the case that impotence, when it isn't due to partnershipproblems or other psychological issues, is a risk factor for heart disease in its own right.
But another study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that both lifestylechanges and cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins appeared to improve men's erectileproblems -- but only a little.
Men who exercises more or were put on a Mediterranean diet rich in whole grain, fruits,vegetables nuts and olive oil, for instance, reported a 2.4 point improvement on a 25-pointscale of erectile problems.
Those put on statins saw a similar improvement of 3.1 points, said Bhanu Gupta andcolleagues at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The results were based on six trials with740 participants.
"The results of our study further strengthen the evidence that lifestyle modification andpharmacotherapy for cardiovascular risk factors are effective in improving sexual function inmen with erectile dysfunction," they wrote.
They added that lifestyle changes appeared to work regardless of whether the men were takingViagra, the most common drug to treat impotence, or not.
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