[Erectile dysfunction: indicator of end-organ damage in cardiovascular patients].

Prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) amounts to 20-30% in a general population and increases to 50-70% in cardiovascular high-risk patients. Association of ED with known cardiovascular risk factors is causal with endothelial function of penile vessels and corpora cavernosa playing a crucial role in physiology of erection. Moreover, severity of ED correlates with cardiovascular risk of patients and represents an early symptom of generalized atherosclerosis. Hence, cardiovascular risk factors and diseases are sooner diagnosed in patients with ED with the opportunity of risk-adjusted prevention. Furthermore, different trials suggest erectile function as a strong predictor of cardiovascular events like myocardial infarction or stroke.