Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to achieve and maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse. It is estimated to affect 20 to 30 million men in the us.
It may result from impairment of one or more factors: psychological, neurologic, hormonal, arterial, and venous. More recently it has become clear that, in many cases, erection dysfunction can be a "silent marker" for the later development of cardiovascular disease. The penile erection
penile erection is a neurovascular event subject to psychological and hormonal modulation. Upon sexual stimulation, nerve impulses release neurotransmitters from the cavernous nerve terminals and relaxing factors from the endothelial cells in the penis resulting in (a) relaxation of smooth
muscle
in the arteries and arterioles supplying the erectile tissue.
Erectile dysfunction (ed) is the inability to achieve and/or maintain an erection sufficient to permit satisfactory sexual intercourse [ 1 ]. Ed is nowadays a common condition affecting approximately 5–20% of adult men; ed has a considerable effect on the quality of life not only of the patients themselves, but also of their spouses/family [ 2 – 4 ]. This editorial discusses ed as a manifestation/warning sign of clinically silent cardiovascular disease. It does not discuss ed due to other causes (for instance drugs, depression, etc). A direct association between ed with cardiovascular disease has been supported [ 2 – 6 ].
What Can You Do About PAD That Causes ED?
Detailed description:
erectile dysfunction (ed) is a common complaint in the primary care office. It is frequently found in men with hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or diabetes, and may also be an early warning of peripheral arterial disease. We looked for a relationship between the degree of ed and the presence of pad as measured by the ankle brachial index (abi) associated with co-morbid conditions. Men over the age of 50 with hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, or tobacco use were asked to complete a sexual health inventory for men (shim).
An abi was measured using a hand held doppler. 175 men from two urban and three suburban family practices in tidewater virginia participated.
Tips for living with arterial insufficiency include: create a physical activity plan. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Find an activity you enjoy. It could be dancing, ice skating or walking in the park. Also, find ways to add more steps to your daily routine. Always check with your provider about what types of exercise are safe for you. Explore healthier food options. Check into the mediterranean and dash practice good skin hygiene. This is especially important if you have pad, diabetes-related neuropathy or any other peripheral neuropathy. Wash and moisturize your legs and feet every day. Check for signs of color changes, cracks or ulcers.
The causes of erectile dysfunction (ed) can be divided into two general categories: organic erectile dysfunction and psychogenic. Among the organic causes of erectile dysfunction are those conditions that physically impair the delivery of adequate blood flow to, or prevent maintenance of sufficient blood within, the erectile tissue of the penis. These organic causes of erectile dysfunction can further be divided into vascular and neurologic reasons. As much as 90% of ed is accounted for by organic causes. Vasculogenic ed consists of arterial insufficiency and venous leak syndrome. Arterial insufficiency is where insufficient arterial blood is pumped to the penis, and venous leak syndrome is where that arterial blood pumped to the penis following sexual stimulation is inadequately trapped in the erectile tissue of the penis for a sufficient period of time to permit a satisfactory erection.
The venous leak occurs when a person does not have strong erections, even with sufficient blood flow to the penis. Nowadays, men silently experience erectile dysfunction, and if you find sustaining erections, the potential cause might be struggling with a venous leak.