ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

The most prevalent male sexual dysfunction is Erectile Dysfunction (ED), which shares several risk factors with clinical conditions like cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. ED is thought to be a stand-alone risk factor for cardiovascular disease and can potentially predict future cardiovascular complications. Given this link, every ED encounter should be considered as a chance for a metabolic healthcare practitioner to screen for cardiovascular disease and other illnesses that can have a major impact on a man’s overall health, including hypercholesterolaemia, obesity, hypertension and obesity.

While there are no universally approved screening guidelines, experts advocate examining the current level of knowledge about the relationship between ED, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease risk as well as how this affects how patients who appear with ED are treated.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its association with Erectile Dysfunction has been widely studied and there are now several papers and articles outlining the results of this relationship.

Fortunately, this can be avoided by early screening and intervention and any patient with Erectile Dysfunction should see a metabolic physician to review their risk and identify changes early on. An early investigation would include measurement of cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, testosterone.

Dr Wycliffe Mbagaya has been a Consultant in Metabolic Medicine since 2014, specialising in lipid disorders, diabetes, inherited metabolic diseases, electrolyte imbalance and laboratory medicine.

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