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Associated Conditions

Heart Disease and its Connection to ED

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Numerous studies have shown that you don’t have to get a heart attack to have heart disease. There are many forms of heart disease, and each of them has its different symptoms. Recognizing the symptoms and knowing how to deal with them are a key to maintaining proper health.

But heart disease can also gravitate into something else – erectile dysfunction. And if you have developed one, you know that there is a decent chance you’re going to develop the other.  A 2019 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine states “the CVD risk of ED patients was significantly increased by 43%, CHD was increased by 59%, stroke was increased by 34%, and all-cause mortality was increased by 33%. Older individuals with ED (≥55 years), those with ED of a shorter duration (<7 years), and those with higher rates of diabetes (≥20%) and smoking (≥40%) were more prone to develop CVD. Additionally, severe ED was proven to predict higher CVD and all-cause mortality risk.”*

Do you experience shortness of breath? Do you get chest pains from time to time? Do you have the experience of feeling weak or dizzy from time to time? Do you get sick or nauseous more than you think you should? Do you sweat a lot more than should normally be expected under the circumstances?

All of these things could be signs that you have coronary artery disease. That means you could be a heart attack waiting to happen.

It also means that you could be much more likely to develop ED. It is not hard to imagine why; any time the normal flow of blood is upset, it will affect the process through which a male achieves erection, and by definition, that is exactly what happens in any form of heart disease.

Cholesterol and the foods a man eats can also contribute to a healthy heart and risk of coronary issues.  (what is cholesterol and what foods are healthy)

It is very difficult to treat patients for erectile dysfunction without having a full understanding of all of these principles. Proper testing and diagnosis from a doctor is always recommended when one has cardiovascular or ED symptoms.

*Source: Erectile Dysfunction Predicts Cardiovascular Events as an Independent Risk Factor: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Sexual Medicine, July 16, 2019.

High Blood Pressure and its Relationship to ED

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There are certain medical conditions that might appear to be unrelated to erectile dysfunction that could actually have a very real bearing on it. One of those conditions is high blood pressure.

Blood flow to the penis is a necessary component of achieving an erection, and so it follows that any restriction on that is going to have an effect on erections, and the sexual performance that is associated with it.

High blood pressure is just what is implied from the name; it exerts a lot more pressure on the blood vessels, which makes blood flow a lot more problematic. As a result, the blood will have a much more difficult time flowing to the penis, and that is one of the things that directly causes ED.

To compound things, you could be taking medications for the purposes of dealing with high blood pressure that could contribute to the problem as well.

Don’t take any chances; there have been studies indicating such a connection that 65% (or more) of adult men with high blood pressure also develop erectile dysfunction. A recent study published by the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) indicates “Among adults diagnosed with hypertension, tighter blood pressure control, as measured by average systolic blood pressure and deviation from the average, is associated with a lower incidence and a longer time to the development of ED.”*

Alleviating high blood pressure thru lifestyle changes or medications can certainly help men with overall blood flow and thus many ED issues, but often more specialized treatment options are required.

 

*Source: International Society for Sexual Medicine. Tighter Blood Pressure Control Is Associated with Lower Incidence of Erectile Dysfunction in Hypertensive Men. Mar. 2019.

Prostate Cancer and its Relationship to ED

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There are certain other medical conditions that could bring about the onset of erectile dysfunction. Understanding the underlying causes and getting the proper treatment for them early could make all the difference in a successful recovery. The more education you have in things like this, the better off you’re going to be.

One of those disorders that could be associated with erectile dysfunction is prostate cancer. The prostate is a small muscular gland near the bladder. It is a male reproductive organ whose main function is to secrete prostate fluid, one of the components of semen. The muscles of this gland also help propel this seminal fluid into the urethra during ejaculation.

Prostate cancer is rather common; for men it is the most common form of cancer that is not involved with the skin. The good news  is that it is treatable, but the bad news is that the treatment itself could be something that eventually leads to erectile dysfunction. There is a close proximity between the prostate gland and the nerves that are involved with the process of achieving an erection.

If you have undergone hormonal therapy, that can have a debilitating effect on the normal erection process. The same can be said about radiation therapy or surgery. Prostate cancer treatments can effect the nearby tissues and nerves, and that is something that is going to put you in danger of developing erectile dysfunction.

“Screening for prostate cancer begins with a blood test called a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test. This test measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA is a substance made by the prostate. The levels of PSA in the blood can be higher in men who have prostate cancer. The PSA level may also be elevated in other conditions that affect the prostate. Because many factors can affect PSA levels, your doctor is the best person to interpret your PSA test results.”*

*Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

Sleep Apnea and Erectile Dysfunction

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A correlation has been found between erectile dysfunction and sleep apnea—also known as sleep disordered breathing (SDB).

A past article in Urology Today states:

“Since the majority of physicians who treat ED are unlikely to have expertise in SDB, and similarly those who treat SDB generally have little expertise in diagnosing or treating ED, it is the opinion of the authors that the potential impact each of these conditions may have on the other has been greatly underestimated. This review article attempts to alert physicians of the interaction between two apparently different disorders and give a more unified approach of ED and SDB.”

Vasculogenic, neurogenic, hormonal, and psychogenic pathways as well as the effects of drugs and others factors play important roles in the development of ED and recent studies suggest that ED as a result of sleep apnea might involve the nitric oxide synthase and phosphodiesterase- mediated pathways targeted by tadalafil and other similar products.

Going forward, it’s theorized that the treatment of SDB might also aid in the reversal of erectile dysfunction.

More recent studies conclude “a 95% confidence interval of 0.18–0.71, indicating that in patients without OSA (obstructive sleep apnea), the risk of ED is significantly lower compared with patients with OSA. The available evidence shows that OSA is associated with a higher risk of ED”.*

 

*Source: Association between obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis, International Journal of Impotence Research volume 30, pages 129–140 (2018).

The ED & Low-T Experts