Erectile Dysfunction and Younger Men

By Jane Farrell

Although erectile dysfunction has long been associated with cardiovascular disease, doctors have not paid enough attention to ED in younger men, according to a new study.

The research was published in the journal Vascular Medicine.

Risk factors for erectile dysfunction and CV disease are similar – including older age, smoking, obesity, and diabetes, among others. In addition, multiple overlapping mechanisms lead to the development of both erectile dysfunction and CV disease.

Now, the researchers – Drs. Chukwuemeka Osondu , of Baptist Health South Florida, Bryan Vo , of Florida International University, and Ehimen Aneni , of Mount Sinai Medical Center, and colleagues – say that measures of erectile dysfunction could be a simple yet effective tool, “particularly in young men who are less likely to undergo aggressive CVD risk assessment and management.”

The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 28 studies that examined the link between erectile dysfunction and measures of early CV disease.

The authors explained that the “study findings indicate that [young] men [with erectile dysfunction] are at greater risk of having identifiable subclinical CV disease and will benefit from an active CV disease work-up…Our study supports a more aggressive CV disease risk assessment and management for persons with erectile dysfunction, including young men who may otherwise be categorized as low risk due to their young ages.”