How Does Atherosclerosis Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
by Admin
Posted on 22-03-2023 05:51 PM
Erectile dysfunction, or ed, is when a man is unable to get or maintain an erection firm enough for sexual relations. Vascular diseases are those that damage your blood vessels or change the way they
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. One type of vascular disease, atherosclerosis, or “clogged arteries,” is a major physical cause of ed. (there are also psychological causes. ) atherosclerosis is the buildup of cholesterol and fats into a sticky plaque that forms on artery walls.
Atherosclerosis that causes ed is called peripheral artery disease, or pad. “peripheral” means it forms in blood vessels outside the area of your heart or brain, like your arms and legs.
In the past, the buildup of plaques in the arteries of your body (atherosclerosis) was believed to be the reason why erectile dysfunction often precedes heart problems. The idea was that plaque buildup reduces blood flow in the penis, making an erection difficult. However, experts now believe that erectile dysfunction preceding heart problems is more often due to the dysfunction of the inner lining of the blood vessels (endothelium) and smooth muscle. Endothelial dysfunction causes inadequate blood supply to the heart and impaired blood flow to the penis, and aids in the development of atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis and Erectile Dysfunction
To better understand how peripheral artery disease can cause erectile dysfunction, it may be beneficial to first discuss what causes pad. The most common cause of pad is atherosclerosis , a narrowing or blockage in the arteries leading to the lower extremities. This condition develops when plaque builds up within the arterial walls.
Along with potentially impacting the legs and feet, atherosclerosis can also affect the male genitalia. In other words, erectile dysfunction due to arterial insufficiency can develop when the arteries leading to this region experience a buildup of plaque that limits proper blood flow.
Topics: peripheral artery disease , atherosclerosis , erectile dysfunction it’s not in your head, it’s in your vascular bed. Until the 1980s, most doctors would have told you that erectile dysfunction (ed) was all in your head. 1 but thanks to welsh miners, we now understand that it is actually a sign of peripheral artery disease (pad). (read more about how viagra was discovered below. )how are erectile dysfunction and peripheral artery disease related? it’s all about blood flow. Erectile dysfunction or impotence, is defined as the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex. The problem of getting or keeping an erection is a sign of decreased blood flow caused by an underlying health condition like heart disease and peripheral artery disease.
Signs of Peripheral Artery Disease: Erectile Dysfunction
Your erectile dysfunction could be the result of a form of arteriosclerosis called peripheral artery disease (pad), which means your arteries are clogged. High blood pressure (a risk factor for pad) can also result in poor blood flow, as well as pelvic trauma from an accident, either recently or in the past. Peripheral artery disease may be the culprit in the majority of the cases of ed — up to 70 percent. Blood vessels can get clogged in many areas in your body besides your heart and brain — think your arms, legs, and abdomen, as well as your penis.
The role of the endothelium in ed has been noted for a number of years and the overlapping of ed and other conditions, especially coronary heart disease, cvd, affecting endothelial function/dysfunction, is clearly present. The endothelial cell is now known to affect vascular tone and impact the process of atherosclerosis, and impacting ed, cvd and peripheral vascular disease. 16 the role of the endothelium in erectile function became clearer with the observation that the phosphodiesterase type 5 (pde5) inhibitor, sildenafil, enhanced erectile function. Erection occurs with the release of nitric oxide (no) from the vascular endothelial cells. 17 the reduction in endothelial cell production of no results in the negative impact on the smooth muscles in the corporal bodies and results in less relaxation of the smooth muscle cells with decrease in blood supply and resulting ed.
Cardiovascular disease is a very significant risk factor for erectile dysfunction. Almost 50% of men with known coronary artery disease proven by cardiac catheterization have significant erectile dysfunction. Part of the reason for this is that the coronary arteries and the penile cavernosal arteries are similar in size and tend to develop atherosclerotic problems similarly. Since the cavernosal arteries are smaller, they will tend to develop blockage from atherosclerotic plaques earlier resulting in vasculogenic ed years before the clinical appearance of coronary artery disease. Both cardiovascular disease and ed involve endothelial cell dysfunction in their pathophysiology. These patients will often demonstrate subclinical atherosclerosis long before any overt ed by as much as ten years.