Prevalence of cardiac dysfunction in men with erectile dysfunction: the EDcard study

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of myocardial impairment in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) as compared with the general population using conventional and two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Subjects and methods: In this cross-sectional study, men with ED underwent clinical, electrocardiographic, and transthoracic echocardiographic evaluation including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) according to a predefined protocol. All participants were matched 1:1 with controls from the general population on sex, age, and body mass index (BMI).

Results: In total, 796 people were included, 398 men with ED and 398 controls. The ED group had a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 61 (53-70) years and a median (IQR) BMI of 26.3 (24-29) kg/m². Left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction was found in 232 (58.3%) men with ED compared to 102 (25.6%) controls (P < 0.001). Nineteen (4.8%) men with ED were referred for further cardiovascular evaluation.

Conclusion: More than half of men with ED exhibited signs of cardiac dysfunction, particularly LV systolic dysfunction. Further research should explore the long-term prognostic implications of these findings.

Keywords: cardiac disease; cardiac dysfunction; cardiovascular disease; echocardiography; erectile dysfunction; global longitudinal strain; two‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.