Erectile Dysfunction May Signal Heart Problems

Erectile dysfunction is sometimes more than just an issue that negatively impacts a man's quality of life -- it can also be an early sign of heart or blood vessel problems, according to experts.

Consequently, men need to tell their doctors as soon as they develop erectile dysfunction (ED), so their doctors can order additional tests to make sure their heart and blood vessels are healthy, lead author Dr. Kevin Billups of the University of Minnesota School of Medicine in Minneapolis told Reuters Health.

"I really feel that ED is a barometer of a man's overall cardiovascular health," Billups noted. "When you have difficulty keeping a firm erection, that's when you really need to go in."

In an interview, Billups said that he and his colleagues decided that every doctor should ask male patients 25 and older about ED. If men are having erectile problems, they should undergo additional testing, to rule out cardiovascular disease.


He said he and his colleagues chose 25 as a cutoff point because doctors see both ED and cardiovascular disease in young men, and national cholesterol guidelines recommend starting to check cholesterol after age 20.