Alternative medicine (1)
- Erectile dysfunction herbs: A natural treatment for ED?
Causes (1)
- Male hypogonadism
Complications (3)
- Erectile dysfunction: A sign of heart disease?
- Self-esteem check: Too low, too high or just right?
- Diabetes, prostate cancer and ED
Lifestyle and home remedies (1)
- Kegel exercises for men: Understand the benefits
Prevention (1)
- Penis health: Identify and prevent problems
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- Senior sex: Tips for older men
Symptoms (1)
- Symptom Checker
Treatments and drugs (5)
- Erectile dysfunction: Viagra and other oral medications
- Erectile dysfunction herbs: A natural treatment for ED?
- Erectile dysfunction and diabetes: Take control today
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Erectile dysfunction: A sign of heart disease?
The same process that creates heart disease may also cause erectile dysfunction, only earlier.
By Mayo Clinic staffErectile dysfunction — difficulty maintaining an erection sufficient for sex — can be an early warning sign of heart problems. Understanding the connections between the two may help you get treatment before heart problems become serious. Likewise, if you have heart disease, getting the right treatment may help with erectile dysfunction.
Clogged arteries: Where erectile dysfunction and heart disease meet
Atherosclerosis (ath-ur-o-skluh-ROE-sis) — sometimes called hardening of the arteries — is the buildup of plaques in the arteries of your body. The smaller arteries in the body, such as in the penis, are the first to get plugged up. The plaque reduces blood flow in the penis, making an erection difficult. Erectile dysfunction is an alert to look for atherosclerosis in larger arteries supplying your heart and other organs and to take steps to treat it. Atherosclerosis also increases your risk of other problems, including aneurysm, stroke and peripheral artery disease.
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- Schwartz BG, et al. Cardiovascular implications of erectile dysfunction. Circulation. 2011;123:e609.
- Cunningham GR, et al. Overview of male sexual dysfunction. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed July 18, 2012.
- Bope ET, et al. Conn's Current Therapy 2012. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4557-0738-6..00017-6--sc0020&isbn=978-1-4557-0738-6&sid=1333681740&uniqId=346254080-6#4-u1.0-B978-1-4557-0738-6..00017-6--s0175. Accessed July 18, 2012.
- Inman BA, et al. A population-based longitudinal study of erectile dysfunction and future coronary artery disease. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2009;84:108.
- Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 6, 2012.
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