Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the most common sexual problem in men and defined as inability to attain or maintain a penile erection sufficient for successful vaginal intercourse. Erectile dysfunction is considered a primarily vascular disease in the majority of the cases. Numerous risk factors that contribute to the development and onset of ED are principal for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Objective: Documentation of the relation between erectile dysfunction and severity of coronary artery disease in patients presented with acute coronary syndrome focusing on the relation between onset of erectile dysfunction and onset of acute coronary ischemia.
Patients and methods: This study included Egyptian patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with history of erectile dysfunction (ED), and underwent coronary angiography. They were subdivided into 3 groups: Group1 (control group G1, n= 30) which have a normal coronary angiography or non-atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, group 2 (G2, n= 36) which have a single coronary artery disease, group 3 (G3, n= 34) which have more than one coronary artery disease. Comparative study was done between three groups according to risk factors, comorbidities and severity of atherosclerotic coronary artery lesions according Gensini score, degree of erectile dysfunction which was assessed by international index of erectile function (IIEF) and penile artery duplex.
Results: The total number of patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and diagnosed as erectile dysfunction patients according international index of erectile function (IIEF) was 36. The total number was 6 (20.0%) in the control group, 10 (27.8%) in the second group, 20 (58.8%) in the third group with a significant difference between groups. Comparison between results of penile artery duplex in our study groups was classified according to response to papaverine injection into either no erection, tumescence and rigidity not sufficient for intercourse, tumescence and rigidity sufficient for intercourse or full erection. There was no significant difference between groups.
Conclusion: The recognition of ED was a warning sign of silent vascular disease. It has led to the concept that a man with ED and no cardiac symptoms is a cardiac (or vascular) patient until proven otherwise.