Exercise, Erectile Dysfunction and Co-Morbidities: "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly".

Erectile dysfunction (ED), defined as the inability to attain or maintain sufficient penile erection for sexual intercourse, is a growing health problem, which unfortunately remains underreported, underdiagnosed and undertreated. Growing evidence suggests that ED is a promising cardiovascular risk marker, as it is associated with major co-morbidities increasing cardiovascular disease burden, while it is an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The role of exercise as a non-pharmacological therapeutic intervention in ED has been widely investigated during the last two decades, both in observational studies and in randomized controlled trials, enrolling different patients' populations.

Reduction of Vascular Inflammation, LDL-C, or Both for the Protection from Cardiovascular Events?

Background: Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and low grade arterial inflammation are key pathogenic factors for atherosclerosis and its manifestation, cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Objective: In this narrative review we assessed if decreasing LDL-C levels or inflammation or both is more effective in reducing CVD events.

Results: In the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S), all statin trials of the 90s' and the Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research with PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects with Elevated Risk (FOURIER) the benefit came from the LDL-C reduction.