High blood pressure (hypertension) and prehypertension (borderline high blood pressure) affects millions of American adults, with disproportionately higher rates among men, obese adults, the elderly and African Americans. High blood pressure is classified as systolic blood pressure of 140 or higher and/or diastolic blood pressure of 90 or higher. Prehypertension is classified as systolic blood pressure of 120-139 and/or diastolic blood pressure of 80-89. High blood pressure and prehypertension are known to increase the risk of heart disease. Now research reports that high blood pressure and prehypertension may also increase men's risk of erectile dysfunction (ED).
The study, published in the Journal of Andrology, investigated the association between blood pressure and the prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men. Researchers at the University of Athens in Greece, compared the blood pressure levels and treatment of 634 men, 31 to 65 years old, attending a high blood pressure outpatient clinic. The researchers evaluated the participants' erectile dysfunction with the International Index for Erectile Function questionnaire.
Researchers found that 358 participants had high blood pressure and 276 participants had normal blood pressure. Findings also revealed that 35 percent of participants with high blood pressure had erectile dysfunction compared to 14 percent of participants with normal blood pressure. Furthermore, the type of medication affected the severity of erectile dysfunction. Participants on older hypertension medication had a more severe erectile dysfunction than men on newer hypertension drugs.
"Erectile dysfunction is related to age in both groups, whereas duration and severity of hypertension as well as antihypertension drugs affect erectile function of hypertensive patients," write the study authors. "Erectile dysfunction affects patient quality of life, underlining the need for vigorous research of this condition and appropriate management."
REFERENCES:
1. Doumas M et al. Factors affecting the increased prevalence of erectile dysfunction in Greek hypertensive compared with normotensive subjects. J Androl 2006 May-Jun;27(3):469-77. Epub 2005 Dec 8.
2. Doumas M and Douma S. Sexual dysfunction in essential hypertension: myth or reality? J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2006 Apr;8(4):269-74.
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on July 22, 2006 01:43 PM
