What is the main indicator of the heart disease in men? The answer is surprising and affects millions of men, but most do not talk about it, according to the National Institute of Health USA.
The answer is erectile dysfunction, difficulty maintaining an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. "I would say that erectile dysfunction is the canary silent in the coal mine" (indicator that something bad happens), Terry Mason says the doctor, urologist and medical director of Cook County Hospital in Chicago.
"When men begin to suffer from erectile dysfunction, is a sign that there is a more widespread disease and not just for the heart, but through all the blood vessels of the body."
"The cells that line blood vessels of the penis and the rest of the body (called endothelial cells) ... more of this type per unit volume in the penis that elsewhere in the body. So any disease that causes a problem for these cells, it will manifest, particularly in men as erectile dysfunction, "says Mason.
Understanding the relationship between erectile dysfunction and heart disease is very important because it can help in early diagnosis and treatment before heart problems worse.
When we talk about heart disease, we usually talk about the plaque that builds in the blood vessels leading to the heart and limit the amount of blood that can pass through them. But these vessels are not isolated but are connected to the rest of the body, and a blood vessel in particular is especially sensitive to narrow to limit the flow of blood.
The researchers found that the dysfunction may be an important prediction of death in men with cardiovascular disease, and men with erectile dysfunction reported 1.6 times more likely to suffer a serious cardiovascular problem, such as heart attack or stroke, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Age also plays an important role. For younger men, especially those under 50 years is more likely that ED is an indicator of a heart problem. In men older than 70 years is much less likely to be.
Men with erectile dysfunction problems should talk to their doctors for cardiology review to determine whether any cardiovascular disease and therefore have a proper treatment.
A change in lifestyle may also be necessary. Eat better, watch your cholesterol, stop smoking, and exercising more may also be beneficial. Although the erectile dysfunction drugs can cure the initial problem, they do not protect against cardiovascular disease or other life-threatening conditions, so find out the root cause is key.
