Education degree predicts cardiovascular outcomes in men suffering from erectile dysfunction.

Background: The level of education has been recognized as a cardiovascular risk factor; nevertheless, it is often neglected in cardiovascular risk prediction.

Objectives: To evaluate the psychobiological correlates of the level of education and if it could predict incident major adverse cardiovascular events in men consulting for erectile dysfunction.

Methods: Total 3733 men (49.8 ± 13.7 years old) attending an andrology outpatient clinic for erectile dysfunction were studied. Sexual and psychological symptoms, hormonal and metabolic, as well as instrumental (penile color Doppler ultrasound) parameters were evaluated according to the education level (university, upper secondary, lower secondary, and primary degree). For a subset of 956 patients, data on incident major adverse cardiovascular events were retrospectively collected for 3.9 ± 2.4 years.

Results: As compared with men with university degree, those with a lower education had an increased frequency of moderate-severe erectile dysfunction (odds ratio = 1.21 [0.99;1.48], 1.41 [1.14;1.73], 1.70 [1.26;2.30] for upper secondary, lower secondary, and primary school, respectively) and reduced flaccid peak systolic velocity at penile color Doppler ultrasound. Men with a lower level of education tend to suffer from metabolic syndrome (odds ratio = 1.38 [1.06;1.79], 1.73 [1.34;2.24], 1.72 [1.24;2.37] for upper secondary, lower secondary, and primary school, respectively) and were more likely to have history of previous cardiovascular events. In the longitudinal study, men with a higher level of education had a significantly lower incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events. The role of higher education as an independent predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events was established by multivariable Cox regressions (hazard ratio = 2.14 [1.24-3.69]).

Discussion: In erectile dysfunction subjects, lower level of education is associated with a more severely impaired erectile function with atherogenic pathogenesis and with a worse cardio-metabolic profile. In addition, a lower level of education predicts forthcoming major adverse cardiovascular events. Therefore, education level should be considered as a costless but valuable information in the assessment of cardiovascular risk in patients with erectile dysfunction.