Erectile Dysfunction Could Save a Man's Life, the Relationship Between ED and Heart Disease

It has been shown by recent research that erectile dysfunction or ED is utilizable in helping to determine whether men will die of a heart attack. It has actually been discerned that if a man has ED he is twice as likely to experience the detriments of heart disease as men who do not have this problem.

As reported by WebMD.com:

"Another study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in December 2005, tracked heart disease risk and ED in more than 9,000 men age 55 and older. The key finding: After accounting for other risk factors, men with ED were 45% more likely to develop heart disease over a five-year period. That's about the same increase in risk that has been linked to smoking or high cholesterol, the researchers noted. "

A cardiologist at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Robert Kloner, says this is probably not surprising."because arteries in the penis are smaller, so atherosclerosis shows up there sooner." Cardiovascular disease may be a reality for the patient with ED three to four years after the symptoms of ED have their onset.

Atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, causes plaque or fatty deposits to accumulate on the sides of the arterial walls. This causes the walls to become stiff and less pliable, and narrowing causing restricted blood flow. It is probable that these little pieces of plaque build up could break off and become shooting missiles in the blood stream and where ever they come to rest will block the oxygen carrying blood flow and if it lands in the heart it is a heart attack and if it lands in the brain it would be a stroke. Also the narrowing of the stiffened arteries in the heart or brain can cause a large enough blockade to cause a blockage of blood flow again resulting in heart attack or stroke.

The obvious is being recommended by the experts. If a patient shows up in the emergency room or doctor's office with complaints of erectile dysfunction they should be automatically given a complete workup to discern if heart disease is present. And a referral to a cardiologist should be routine. If treatment is aggressive and early, heart attacks and stroke can be prevented, giving quality and longer life to these patients.

Okay so now we understand the heart and brain and atherosclerosis but how is all this related to the penis and an erection?

Well the simple explanation is that in order to be able to have a sustainable erection the penis must be able to engorge with blood. The lining of the artery must be able to relax to allow the arteries to become wider and let the blood enter into the penis.

The logic of this is clear. The arteries in the penis are much smaller than the arteries in the brain and heart. So the stiff, inflexible narrowing arteries of the penis are showing up as symptoms of erectile dysfunction, much sooner than the much larger arteries of the heart and brain. Thus the early warning signs of heart disease and potential stroke in men actually turns out to be erectile dysfunction.

Resources:

WebMD.com

LJWorld.com

Orlandosentinal.com