Erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) share many pathophysiologic mechanisms and often coexist in the same patient. We evaluated the role of the urologist in the management of ED in patients with preexisting CVD and the impact of measures aimed at improving sexual function on the subsequent risk of cardiac events.

Such measures, in men with preexisting CVD, should be taken into consideration after careful evaluation of the underlying cardiologic condition and assessment of exercise ability, and proerectile medications should be administered only when they do not increase the risk of subsequent cardiac events.

Notably, risk reduction and lifestyle changes, administration of PDE5-Is, and TRT, as indicated, might provide benefits in terms of both sexual function improvement and reduction of the risk of cardiac events.

Reference

Gandaglia G, Briganti A, Montorsi P, Mottrie A, Salonia A, Montorsi F. Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications of Erectile Dysfunction in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease. Eur Urol. 2016 Feb 9. pii: S0302-2838(16)00174-3. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2016.01.054. [Epub ahead of print] Go to abstract