Erectile Problems May Signal Future Heart Disease
(NY, Reuters Health, 8/4/06)

Dr. Varant Kupelian of the New England Research Institutes in Watertown, MA, and team, tracked 928 men for 15 years. The investigators found that, for men whose Body Mass Indexes (BMIs) are within the normal range, erectile dysfunction may predict metabolic syndrome. These findings suggest that slim, middle-aged men should take the condition as a warning that they may be susceptible to a constellation of symptoms—including concentrated belly fat, impaired insulin regulation, high cholesterol and hypertension—which may lead to cardiovascular disease. The researchers believe that physicians should be aware that ER in men typically at low risk for cardiovascular problems may signal the need for intervention to prevent the development of metabolic syndrome and its possible progression to diabetes and/or heart disease.

(The Journal of Urology, July 2006)