[Relationship between endothelial and erectile functions in patients with coronary heart disease].

The study included 92 men with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) aged 39-61 (mean 55 +/- 5.3) years. Groups 1 and 2 were comprised of 63 patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) and 29 ones without it respectively. It was shown that most patients with CHD suffer ED (68.5%). The probability of ED increases in the presence of such risk factors as diabetes mellitus, multifocal atherosclerosis, disturbances of lipid metabolism. Severity of ED grows with CHD duration and body mass. Parameters of endothelium-dependent dilation of brachial and cavernous arteries were impaired in ED patients which suggests the compromised ability of these vessels to respond to mechanical deformation. ED is a marker not only of functional disturbances of the vascular tone but also of severity of atherosclerotic lesions. Correlation analysis revealed the relationship between mean endothelium-dependent dilation of brachial artery and severity of ED; the latter also correlated with such markers of cardiovascular risk as multifactor atherosclerosis, obesity, and disturbances of lipid metabolism.