Heart health Men are usually reluctant to admit when there are problems in the bedroom department, but according to researchers from the University of Saarland, Germany, men could do with being more up front if they suffer with erectile dysfunction, as it puts them at greater risk of dying through heart attack, stroke or heart failure.
According to Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, the study showed that men who had both cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction (ED) were nearly twice as likely to die as a result of heart disease, and twice as likely to have a heart attack as those who had cardiovascular disease but no ED. Worse still, the scientists discovered that ACE inhibitors – drugs used to treat hypertension and to prevent heart failure – didn’t help prevent or reduce the symptoms of erectile dysfunction.
The researchers point out that men suffering with ED are sometimes given medication to help with their impotence (such as Viagra), but they should also immediately be referred for a cardiology check-up as it is an early predictor of cardiovascular disease.