Vascular and Chronological Age in Subjects with Erectile Dysfunction: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Urology
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Vascular age, calculated using the SCORE algorithm, effectively communicates cardiovascular (CV) risk.
• Clinical correlates of vascular age are not well-studied, especially in specific patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if the difference between vascular and chronological age (Δage) can identify men with a worse risk profile among those with erectile dysfunction (ED).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 2,437 male patients with ED and no prior major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).
• Vascular age calculated via the SCORE project algorithm; Δage derived.
• Evaluation of clinical, biochemical, and penile color Doppler parameters.

Main Results:

• Higher Δage correlated with conventional CV risk factors (family history, hyperglycemia, triglycerides, metabolic syndrome) and unconventional factors (ED severity, alcohol abuse, lower education, etc.).
• Δage showed an inverse relationship with penile color Doppler parameters, indicating poorer penile arterial health (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

• In men with ED and no prior CV events, Δage is associated with adverse cardio-metabolic profiles and impaired penile vascular function.
• Δage serves as a simple, inexpensive, and safe marker for identifying high-risk individuals needing intervention and for assessing penile arterial damage.