Men with increasingly severe impotence problems are wise to
take immediate heart-healthy steps. That is because a new health breakthrough
found that impotence is linked to a higher risk of heart disease and even
death.
Published last week
in PLOS Medicine, the large-scale study shows that the risk of future
cardiovascular disease and death rises as erectile dysfunction (ED) becomes
more severe. This is the case even for men with no history of heart problems.
This is the first study to show that severity of impotence corresponds to a
higher risk of heart disease hospitalization and all-cause mortality.
Australian
researchers examined the link between severity of self-reported impotence and
those issues in 95,000 men over the age of 45. It included more than 65,000 men
without known heart disease, and more than 29,000 men with heart disease.
During two years of follow-up, there were 7,855
hospitalizations for heart disease, and after three years, there were 2,304
deaths. Researchers found that men who did not have heart disease but had
severe ED had a relative 35% increased risk of hospitalization and a relative
93% increased risk of all-cause mortality. For men with heart disease and
severe ED, the numbers were 64% and 137%, respectively.
The researchers say
this is important, as it highlights the need to consider impotence in relation
to a wide range of heart problems. They stressed that it is unlikely that ED
causes heart disease. Instead, the culprits are conditions such as
atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) that are contributing to both.
Most importantly, men
who are experiencing significant impotence problems are wise to get some
testing to assess their risk for heart disease. Meanwhile, making lifestyle
changes to promote heart health is an important step.
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