Association Between Parameters of Penile Doppler Ultrasound and Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Erectile...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Urology
• Vascular Imaging

Background:

• Erectile dysfunction (ED) is increasingly recognized as an early indicator of systemic vascular disease.
• Penile colour Doppler ultrasound (PCDU) offers quantitative vascular parameters.
• ED may serve as an early opportunity for cardiovascular risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between PCDU parameters and estimated cardiovascular risk in men with ED.
• To determine if PCDU can identify subclinical vascular impairment related to cardiovascular risk.
• To explore the role of PCDU in cardiovascular risk stratification for men with ED.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study of 275 men undergoing PCDU for ED.
• Collected clinical data, biochemical markers, and QRISK3 cardiovascular risk scores.
• Analyzed peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistive index (RI) using correlation and regression analyses.

Main Results:

• Impaired PSV (<35 cm/s) was linked to older age, higher QRISK3 scores, and more comorbidities.
• Mean PSV showed an inverse correlation with QRISK3 scores (r = -0.203, p < 0.01).
• Abnormal Doppler parameters correlated with increased cardiovascular risk, particularly in men aged 60 years or younger.

Conclusions:

• PCDU parameters reflect the overall cardiovascular risk burden in men with ED.
• Penile Doppler abnormalities may identify a vascular phenotype associated with higher cardiovascular risk, especially in younger men.
• These findings support comprehensive vascular assessment in selected patients with ED.