STRESS TESTING MAY BE INDICATED FOR MEN WITH COMPLAINTS OF ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
Title: STRESS TESTING MAY BE INDICATED FOR MEN WITH COMPLAINTS OF ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION , Geriatrics, 0016867X, Jan2000, Vol. 55, Issue 1
Section: News Pulse
Source: American Heart Association 72nd scientific sessions, Atlanta, November 7-10, 1999
Erectile dysfunction may be an early marker of cardiovascular disease and indicates a need for additional evaluation such as stress testing, according to a researcher from Minnesota.
“The same mechanisms necessary for an erection are also responsible for autoregulation of coronary and carotid arteries,” said Marc R. Pritzker, MD, of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. “If a vascular origin of erectile dysfunction is presumed, one needs to go on and look for vascular disease. This is an opportunity to intervene before the patient [exhibits classic] cardiac or neurologic symptoms.”
He reviewed the histories and test results of 50 men with erectile dysfunction who had sought prescriptions for sildenafil citrate (Viagra) and were referred by their physicians for further evaluation. None of the men exhibited symptoms of cardiovascular disease, but 40 of the 50 had at least one risk factor for heart disease. Treadmill exercise testing was positive in 28 (56%).
Among the 20 men who underwent subsequent angiography, 6 were found to have three-vessel coronary artery disease, 7 had two-vessel disease, and 7 had single-vessel disease. Forty percent had significant blockages in their coronary arteries.
A man engaging in regular sexual activity who experiences a consistent change in erectile function may be demonstrating signs of atherosclerosis and is a candidate for more extensive evaluation, according to Dr. Pritzker. Thirty to 50% of men with erectile dysfunction have a vascular cause, he said.
Only 15 of the 50 patients had seen a physician within the 2 years prior to seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction. “This is a rare opportunity to practice prevention in patients we don’t normally see in our offices” he said.
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Source: Geriatrics, Jan2000, Vol. 55 Issue 1, p26, 2p
