Whenever a new client with erectile dysfunction comes to me. I always encourage them to see a GP first. Physiological causes of erectile dysfunction (ED) be due to; hormones, side effects of medications, stroke, Parkinson's, structural issues to the penis and many more.
But in this post I am going to talk about cardiovascular disease (CVD) because it has been shown that ED occurs at rates as high as 50% in individuals with CVD. CVD can be used to predict the risk of ED because both conditions have the same risk factors. Conversely, ED may trigger events that further lead to coronary artery disease. Atherosclerosis (never ask me to pronounce it!) this is when plaque builds up inside your arteries and it is normally the reasons there is difficulty getting an erection. It can be caused by high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol. It's basically a sign that the lining of blood vessels aren't working as well as they could.
The research out there is telling us that screening for ED could actually be an early detection of CVD or a sign of it already existing. So if you are someone at risk of CVD and experience ED please do go to the doctor and have a check up. ED could actually be a real saving grace.