Growing evidence shows that men who experience erectile dysfunction are more likely to experience a heart attack within five years, prompting the medical community to urge men suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED) to seek medical assessment immediately. A large proportion of men who suffer from impotence are likely to develop coronary artery disease (CAD) within a few years.

The paper, published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, showed that medical practitioners were concerned about the high proportion of impotent men who developed CAD within two years of becoming impotent, and then suffered from a heart attack within three to five years. Hundreds of studies have shown a strong link between erectile dysfunction and CAD within the past few years. In fact, two thirds of men with coronary artery disease experienced impotence before they were diagnosed with CAD.

Even men with erectile dysfunction who are otherwise healthy should go to their doctor to be assessed for early signs of CAD. The severity of ED may also indicate the severity of heart disease once it sets in. The link between impotence and heart disease is strongest in younger men between the ages of 40 and 69. In young men between the ages of 40-49, the risk of developing heart disease is even greater — some studies show that they have double the risk of younger men without ED.

Scientists suggested that the reason the two conditions are linked might be because of restricted blood flow in the arteries due to buildup of plaque, a condition known as atherosclerosis. Blockage to the blood vessels that supply the penis may thus be one of the earliest signs of coronary artery disease. If those smaller arteries are experiencing blockage, preventing men from being able to have an erection, chances are that the same buildup of plaque is occurring in the arteries around the heart.

The researchers involved in publishing the study were concerned that the link between ED and heart disease was not well known to the public, and hope for greater public awareness of the health risks of impotence. In some men, ED may be their only symptom of heart disease before they experience a heart attack. Medical assessment of their condition could lead to medical treatment and lifestyle changes that could potentially save their lives. Doctors may recommend quitting smoking, exercising, eating more healthy food, and in some cases, medication for lowering blood pressure and blood lipid levels.