A symptom, not a disease. When it comes to erectile dysfunction, there are still too many prejudices. This is because it is not seen for what it is: a wake-up call for heart health. Diseases of the cavernous arteries, such as increased wall thickness or the presence of atherosclerotic plaques, are silent in their early stages. Then, as they degenerate and worsen, they begin to show signs of generalized vascular compromise, especially in the carotid and femoral artery. And impotence becomes one of the first obvious signs, predicting potentially fatal heart problems.
It might seem hard to accept, but erectile dysfunction can actually save your life. “The reticence of males to go to the doctor is exacerbated when the sexual sphere is touched in some way. And this can allow us to discover that we suffer from a much more risky disease”, explains the professor. Carlo Foresta of the University of Padua, director of the Andrology and Reproductive Medicine unit. With his team, the andrologist carried out a study on three hundred men between the ages of 35 and 65 using penile echocolor doppler analysis, and found that “those suffering from these pathologies have a risk of heart attack and stroke up to six times greater “.
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Sex suffers
Erectile dysfunction refers to the consistent inability to obtain or maintain an erection sufficient to allow satisfactory sexual intercourse. And it is one of the most common andrological diseases: the average global prevalence varies from 14% to 48%, with higher rates in the United States and South East Asia. In Italy, the only epidemiological study currently available is now 20 years ago and calculated an overall prevalence of 12.8%, with a significant increase with advancing age (2% between 18 and 30 years and 48% over 70 years). Comparing these data to the current population, about 3 million Italians could suffer from it.
A physical disturbance that is often momentary
Isolated episodes can be associated with a momentary physical disturbance, a lack of feeling with the new partner or mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression or relationship problems. But much more often the dysfunction is linked to organic factors such as cardiovascular, neurological or genitourinary diseases, alcohol or drug abuse, smoking, diabetes, hypertension and obesity. This is why it must be seen as “a significant alarm bell on the functioning of one’s cardiovascular system. It is therefore very important to contact a doctor to do all the necessary analyzes and undertake the right treatments, which can range from an improvement in the lifestyle, a healthier diet with more sporting activities, up to drug treatments “.
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You don’t need Viagra right away
But don’t think about Viagra right away. And above all “you should never prescribe do-it-yourself treatments. I would never recommend immediately resorting to drugs for induction or prolongation of erection: in this way we do not cure the damage but we buffer a more serious problem that must be adequately treated”, recalls Professor Foresta.
Drugs
In case of proven need for drugs, the most prescribed ones are used to favor the dilation of the penile circulation: they are therefore 5-phospho-diesterase inhibitors – such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra – or prostaglandins, which are injected into the penis to relax its muscles. Then “even if the man does not undergo a collapse of testicular function comparable to female menopause, he still undergoes a very slow decline in testosterone production. A hormonal deficit that can be more pronounced in those who are obese or diabetic. The andropause has certainly of the consequences on the metabolism and can aggravate other pre-existing pathologies, and can also affect mood, libido and sexual desire, as well as on the skeletal structure, leading to osteoporosis “. After the age of 50, in cases of low levels of this hormone, taking testosterone can therefore facilitate the recovery of erections.
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The shock waves
Erectile dysfunction therapy also comes from low intensity shock waves. Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shock Waves Therapy works mechanically, compressing and expanding the tissues to favor the formation of new capillaries and therefore blood flow during erection. The treatment does not involve pain or side effects: in the first study carried out in Italy by Sia, 70% of men solved the problem in six sessions of ten minutes, allowing them to return to natural sexuality. In the most serious patients, on the other hand, shock waves have proved to be a valid adjuvant to oral therapy, with improvements in 40% of cases.
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