BERKELEY, CA (UroToday.com) - In our recent article, we studied the differences between a group of patients with erectile dysfunction, compared to a control group. The group of patients with erectile dysfunction generally presented with more sedentary lifestyles than the control group, thus reflecting an increased body mass index and lower physical activity. Metabolic syndrome was present with greater frequency in patients with erectile dysfunction than in the control group. In our study, hormones did not play an important role determining erectile dysfunction, however C-reactive protein was more elevated in patients with erectile dysfunction. Broadly, we observed that metabolic and inflammation markers play a more important role in the presence of erectile dysfunction.
In recent years, an important number of studies have been conducted and researched to try to correlate the presence of erectile dysfunction with cardiovascular disease. Currently we can consider erectile dysfunction as a cardiovascular risk marker, and, therefore, urologists should be part of an integrated health care delivery system, being able to detect those patients with an increased risk of coronary syndrome or stroke. Urologists should not only diagnose and treat erectile dysfunction as a single disease, but should make a thorough study of the patient for the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors such as metabolic syndrome and alteration of inflammatory parameters.
It would be interesting to classify patients with cardiovascular risk according to the degree of erectile dysfunction they present with (mild, moderate, severe) in order to establish whether the presence of erectile dysfunction over time, or with greater severity, is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The study of peripheral arterial disease (carotid ultrasound), the study of coronary artery disease (stress test, echocardiography, isotopic studies, etc.), and the analysis of genetic and molecular factors may help affirm that the presence of erectile dysfunction is a symptom of warning of future cardiovascular events.
Written by:
Miguel Angel Arrabal-Polo, PhD as part of Beyond the Abstract on UroToday.com. This initiative offers a method of publishing for the professional urology community. Authors are given an opportunity to expand on the circumstances, limitations etc... of their research by referencing the published abstract.
San Cecilio University Hospital. Granada. Spain
Metabolic syndrome, hormone levels, and inflammation in patients with erectile dysfunction - Abstract
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