Erectile dysfunction linked to higher risk of heart disease

A team of international researchers has published the results of a study showing a connection between erectile dysfunction and increased risk of heart disease.

The team, led by Dr David Batty, a Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow at University College London, studied a 6304 men aged between 55 and 88 years old.

A little over half of the men reported experiencing some degree of erectile dysfunction at the beginning of the study.

Throughout a five-year follow-up period, these men reported between them 1579 events related to cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart attack and brain haemorrhage, leading the researchers to conclude that men with erectile dysfunction are between a third and a half times more likely to experience some form of cardiovascular disease.

The researchers were, however careful not to suggest a causal relationship between the two health problems.

"Impotence will affect most men at some stage in their lives and it can be distressing and often difficult to talk about," said Dr Batty, adding that this new research underscores the importance of checking to make sure it is not a symptom of a far more serious condition.

The study appears in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology