Men with erectile dysfunction (ED) are more likely to have high coronary artery calcification scores (CACS) on CT scans, according to new study presented this week at the American Urological Association (AUA) meeting in San Francisco.
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City evaluated 1,119 men (mean age, 50.5 years) enrolled in the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program, of whom 327 had erectile dysfunction. All patients were evaluated with a cardiac CT scan to determine their coronary artery calcium score, and they also completed a Sexual Health Inventory for Men survey to assess for ED.
After adjusting for risk factors such as diabetes, smoking, and body mass index, the results showed that erectile dysfunction was independently associated with a 54% increased risk of CACS.
Guidelines are urgently needed to stratify cardiovascular risk in newly diagnosed erectile dysfunction patients in light of the significant association between ED and cardiovascular disease, said lead investigator Dr. Natan Bar-Chama of Mount Sinai.
"For example, should we be recommending that CACS scores be obtained in all these patients?" Bar-Chama said in a statement accompanying the results. "Also, should we routinely be measuring serum inflammatory markers, conducting assessment of endothelial function, or cardiac stress testing?"
The new data show an indisputable connection between ED and atherosclerosis, solidifying the concept of ED as an indicator of atherosclerosis, he said.
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