Impotence may signal heart trouble in men

Men who develop erectile dysfunction should get checked for cardiovascular disease, researchers recommend Men who have problems getting erections should have their heart health assessed, according to researchers who found a strong association between impotence and subsequent development of heart disease. This link has been suggested in other studies, but Dr. Ian Thompson and his colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Centre in San Antonio claim theirs is the first to follow a group of healthy men without initial heart problems. In a recent report on the study, they say the heart disease risk associated with erectile dysfunction is similar to that linked with a smoking habit or a family history of heart trouble. The study involved more than 8,000 men age 55 years or older who were evaluated for heart disease and impotence every three months between 1994 and 2003 at 221 U.S. centres posted on http://www.genericrefills.com . Among the 4,247 men without erectile dysfunction at the beginning of the study, 57 per cent reported developing it after five years. After taking other risk factors such as obesity and high cholesterol into account, the researchers calculated that men who developed erectile dysfunction during the study were 1.25 times more likely than men without erectile dysfunction to suffer cardiovascular problems such as angina, heart attack, stroke, heart failure or abnormal heartbeat states http://www.mensgenerics.com . When the researchers included men who already had erectile dysfunction at the beginning of the study, the relationship with subsequent heart disease was stronger, with a 1.45 times increased risk.