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Penile doppler ultrasound predicts cardiovascular events in men with erectile dysfunction
N Caretta1, M De Rocco Ponce1, N Minicuci2
1Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Centre for Human Reproduction Pathology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
Insights
Erectile dysfunction (ED) linked to cavernous artery changes on penile ultrasound predicts future heart events. These findings highlight ED as an important cardiovascular risk marker in men.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Medicine
- Men's Health
Background:
- Traditional cardiovascular risk factors often underestimate risk in certain populations.
- Erectile dysfunction (ED) is increasingly recognized as an early indicator of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- Vasculogenic ED in middle-aged men may signal underlying vascular pathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the association between penile cavernous artery alterations and future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 300 men (35-65 years) with ED over 10 years.
- Vascular assessment included penile colour doppler ultrasound (P-CDU), carotid, and lower limb artery ultrasounds.
- Baseline data on metabolic, lipid, hypertensive, and hormonal status were collected.
Main Results:
- Cavernous artery morphological alterations showed a threefold increased risk of future MACE (RR 3.2).
- This association remained significant after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
- Penile vascular changes are strongly linked to increased cardiovascular event risk.
Conclusions:
- Morphological changes in cavernous arteries are an independent predictor of future MACE.
- Penile colour doppler ultrasound assessment of cavernous arteries may identify men at elevated cardiovascular risk.
- These findings support the hypothesis linking cavernous artery pathology to MACE.
Background:
Traditional risk factors used to assess cardiovascular risk miss a significant population who are indeed at risk for future cardiac events. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an emerging marker for future cardiovascular disease (CVD) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), especially in young and middle-aged men with vasculogenic ED. Cavernous arteries morphological alterations at penile colour doppler ultrasound (P-CDU) are used to find a vasculogenic ED.
Objectives:
We investigated the possible relationship between cavernous arteries morphological alterations at P-CDU assessment and future MACE.
Materials And Methods:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 300 ED patients, aged 35-65 years (mean age 54.1 ± 7.1), with a follow-up period of 10 years. Patients underwent vascular evaluation including P-CDU, colour doppler ultrasound of the carotid and lower limbs arteries. At baseline data for glucose metabolism, lipid profile, hypertension and hormonal status were collected. During the follow-up period, the occurrence of MACE was evaluated.
Results:
We found a strong association between cavernous arteries morphological alterations and CVD with a threefold increased risk of future MACE in comparison to patients with healthy cavernous arteries (RR 3.2, 95% CI 1.17-8.78). This association remained statistically significant after adjustment for CV risk factors (age, glycaemia, total cholesterol, hypertension and smoke).
Conclusions:
Morphological alterations of cavernous arteries are independently associated with an increased risk of future MACE. These data contribute to the formulation of the hypothesis that cavernous artery pathology at P-CDU is related to MACE.
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