Modern views on the relationship between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the male population all over the world. Therefore the search for ways of early diagnosis and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is a top priority for many academic institutions. At the same time, erectile dysfunction - is one of the most common problems among men of middle-aged and elderly. Common risk factors (such as smoking, poor diet, lack of physical activity, etc.) allow to say that erectile dysfunction and coronary heart disease have a common pathogenesis. Link between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease (in particular coronary artery disease) caused by atherosclerosis leading role in the pathogenesis of both diseases. Modern research has reliably shown that erectile dysfunction starts 2-3 years before the appearance of symptoms of the cardiovascular system. This correlation is most expressed for males aged 40-49 years. From this point we can use erectile dysfunction as an early marker and a tool for primary prevention of ischemic myocardial damage. At the same time, the true pathogenetic mechanism of the relationship of these diseases is still unclear. This is shown by the data of pathological studies do not confirm the high prevalence of penile atherosclerosis in patients who died of a heart attack or stroke. Therefore, large prospective studies aimed at studying the pathogenetic relationship of these diseases is necessary.