[Relationship between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease]

The incidence and severity of erectile dysfunction increase with age and factors of comorbidity. Erectile dysfunction is predominantly of vascular origin and shares common risk factors with cardiovascular disease. An association between erectile dysfunction and ischemic heart disease has been suggested due to the impairment of the endothelium-dependent relaxation of smooth muscle. There is accumulating evidence suggesting that erectile dysfunction could be a sentinel event for cardiovascular disease and not only for quality of life evaluation. Atherosclerosis lesions are variable in localisation with time. Erectile dysfunction could represent a marker of infraclinic vascular disease and a predictor of the progression of cardiovascular disease. This is of importance to conduct appropriate approach of cardiac risk towards patients with erectile dysfunction to decrease morbidity of cardiovascular disease.