The Link Between Hypertension, Heart Disease, and Erectile Dysfunction

Inability of the artery that supplies blood to the penis to expand and contract properly is the reason behind erectile dysfunction (ED). The study of this mechanism has led to a new understanding of the important link between ED and the development of coronary artery disease, and to new strategies for prevention and treatment. In the article 'Hypertension: The Link Between Erectile Dysfunction and Coronary Artery Disease,' Jacob Rajfer, MD, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, and Martin Miner, MD, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, proposes that hypertension negatively affects the flow of blood to both the heart muscle and the erectile tissue of the penis. In both organs it appears to be caused by age-related cell death within the smooth muscle that lines the walls of the blood vessels. Ajay Nehra, MD, Editor-in-Chief and Chair, Department of Urology, Director, Men's Health, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, said that the article further substantiates the correlation between cardiac disease, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction and provides healthcare providers with an insight into discussing the status of erectile function. The study has been published online in the Journal of Men's Health.