Zackery West

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Can Be An Early Warning Sign For A Heart Attack The penis becomes erect when blood flows into chambers, elevating pressure and causing rigidity we commonly know as an erection. At a recent convention of experts, the Sexual Medicine Society of North America, Inc. (SMSNA), many physicians agrees that inadequate blood flow to the penis is the cause in 85% of erectile dysfunction (ED) cases. This development itself, is significant. For decades the cause was speculated to be psychological, environmental, or other. Specifically, this type of ED, called vascular erectile dysfunction, is a disease of the inner lining of arteries, called the endothelium, that restricts blood flow to the penis. Because of the critical role of blood flow for erections, and because arteries going to the penis are smaller than the arteries going to the heart (and therefore conges sooner), the development of ED is an independent predictor of heart disease. Bottom line: men are more likely to develop ED many years before experiencing a major cardiac event like a heart attack or stroke; at the recent SMSNA event on sexual medicine, many physicians who participated in prostate cancer prevention trial found that one out of six men are likely to suffer a cardiac event within seven years of developing ED. So, what do we make of this? 1. Men with erectile dysfunction (ED) should inform their primary care physician or their cardiologist, immediately. Treatment for the the root problem can be coordinated with diagnostic testing for coronary health. There are simple tests that can accurately predict cardiovascular risk. At the recent SMSNA, a fascinating talk by a cardiologist revealed that a non-contrast cardiac CT scan was a quick and easy way to evaluate this condition. The scan takes less than 5 minutes to perform, uses a minimal amount of radiation, and is only a few hundred dollars. 2. 3. Don’t forget to circle-back and take care of ED. It’s a very treatable condition, with interventions ranging from GAINSWave shockwave therapies, to various supplements. ED is not convenient, but it does create an early warning mechanism to rule of potentially deadly heart conditions, and while it won’t help with the root issue of ED, the screening for vascular congestion in penile tissue is relatively simple and painless. Dr. Judson Brandeis is a board-certified urologist practicing in San Ramon, California.