Erectile dysfunction and coronary atherothrombosis in diabetic patients: pathophysiology, clinical features and treatment.

The current review reports recent data available in the literature on the prevalence of erectile dysfunction and the association of erectile dysfunction with overt and silent coronary artery disease in patients with diabetes mellitus. The mechanisms by which erectile dysfunction is associated with coronary artery disease and potential clinical implications of this association have been extensively analysed. In particular, the role of endothelial dysfunction in the pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction and the potential clinical usefulness of erectile dysfunction to identify diabetic patients with silent coronary artery disease have been outlined. Finally, recent guidelines on the treatment of erectile dysfunction with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors in diabetic patients with and without coronary artery disease have been reported and discussed.