Erectile Dysfunction May Be A Warning Sign for Diabetes

Two new studies say that erectile dysfunction (ED) may be a warning sign of diabetes, as well as a warning of approaching cardiovascular disease. In the case of both diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the concern is that ED is a symptom of impeded blood flow that can later lead to heart attack or stroke. But men with diabetes face a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than men who have ED alone, suggest two studies published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

In diabetics, it turns out, ED may be even more of a red flag than it is in other men. Two new studies published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggest that men with both diabetes and erectile dysfunction face a greater cardiovascular risk than men with erectile dysfunction alone.

Diabetes experts in the U.S. caution that erectile dysfunction is just one of several complications of diabetes that should serve as a warning flag for dangerous cardiovascular problems.

What interpretations did the researchers draw from these results?

The researchers conclude that there is an association between erectile dysfunction and new cardiac events in men with type 2 diabetes. They say that erectile dysfunction is a “surrogate marker” for future heart problems. Continue Reading—>

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• Erectile dysfunction and the cardiovascular patient: endothelial dysfunction is the common denominator.
• The relationship between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. Part I: pathophysiology and mechanisms.
• Etiology and treatment of erectile failure in diabetes mellitus.