Is erectile dysfunction really a clinically useful predictor of cardiovascular disease?

Objective: To evaluate the possible connection between erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in one of its more severe forms, namely myocardial infarction (MI).

Material And Methods: The incidence of ED in men hospitalized due to MI (n=100) was compared with that reported in a questionnaire sent to an age-matched control population (n=129).

Results: The incidence of ED before MI (34%) was similar to that in the control population (30%). After MI, 53% reported ED. Smoking was much more common among the men with MI (82%) than among the controls (45%). Smoking was, however, only slightly more common among controls with (50%) than without (40%) ED. None of the men in the study group had consulted a physician due to ED before the MI and only 10/53 (19%) with ED after the MI had consulted a physician for this reason. Among the controls without a history of CVD, 18% reported ED, compared to 34% of the men before the MI but without clinical evidence of CVD and/or diabetes (p=NS).

Conclusions: The well-known association between CVD and ED was confirmed. However, the lack of a sharp rise in the prevalence of ED prior to MI does not support the idea that ED is a clinically useful predictor of MI.