The interlinked depression, erectile dysfunction, and coronary heart disease syndrome in older men: a triad often underdiagnosed.

The prevalence of depression, erectile dysfunction (ED), and coronary heart disease (CHD) increases with age, and the symptoms related to these three illnesses are closely interlinked. The term "DEC syndrome" is introduced to refer to this triad of comorbid conditions. When a patient presents with one component of the DEC syndrome, physicians should also screen for the other two components. Studies have shown that depression may predispose an individual to an increased risk of developing CHD, and older men with CHD are more likely to be depressed. Likewise, patients with ED are more likely to be clinically depressed, and patients with clinical depression often have ED. Furthermore, patients presenting with ED are often hypertensive, and thus have a significantly higher prevalence of cardiovascular complications. Multifactorial problems require multifactorial approaches, and the care of older men can improve if physicians are aware of this interlinked syndrome.