Erectile Dysfunction: Medical Information

Erectile Dysfunction And Heart Disease

Erectile dysfunction and heart disease have many equal causes and share some important connections. This is why erectile dysfunction can be a sign of a heart disease and can help prevent heart attack and stroke.

Conditions which cause both heart disease and erectile dysfunction are:

• High cholesterol level in blood
• Diabetes
• Overweight or obesity
• Depression and anxiety
• Cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, drug abuse

Arteries hardering caused by diabetes and/or high cholesterol levels lead to blood vessels narrowing which reduces blood flow to your penis thus causing ED. ED can also be a source of depression and anxiety, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. On the other hand, erectile dysfunction can be caused by specific medications used to lower blood pressure and heart medications. Medications used to treat erectile dysfunction interact with heart medication called nitrates (used to treat chest pain, or angina); this interaction can result in a dangerous low blood pressure.

Erectile dysfunction can develop as a side effect of such medications used to treat high blood pressure, as catapres, lopressor and aldactone.

Antidepressants can cause erectile dysfunction as a side effects. These drugs are well-known SSR inhibitors Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline) and some others.