In the Journals

Erectile dysfunction and subsequent cardiovascular disease

Authors: IM Thompson, CM Tangen, PJ Goodman, JL Probstfield, CM Moinpour, CA Coltman.

Journal: JAMA 2005; 294:2996-3002.

Editorial Comment: Data from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial have documented the risk of developing erectile dysfunction and its association with cardiovascular disease over time. This first-of-its-kind study tracked 4247 healthy men with an average age of 61 years who had normal erections at baseline finding that 2 out of 3 subsequently developed erectile dysfunction at 7 years. Among those men who developed erectile dysfunction, approximately 15% were found later to have acquired cardiovascular disease such as heart attack and stroke. This study does support the emerging belief that erectile dysfunction is an indicator of cardiovascular disease.

Arthur L. Burnett, M.D.