Fibrinogen, lipoprotein (a) and lipids in patients with erectile dysfunction. A preliminary study.
BACKGROUND
Erectile dysfunction is associated with cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia and diabetes) and is more common in patients with cardiovascular disease. We therefore assessed the prevalence of two predictors of vascular events, fibrinogen and lipoprotein-a, in patients with and without erectile dysfunction.


METHODS
Men with erectile dysfunction (48 non-smokers, 48 smokers), aged 45-70 years, were compared with controls (21 non-smokers, 21 smokers) with normal erectile function and no known pathology.


RESULTS
Serum total cholesterol was significantly higher in non-smokers with erectile dysfunction compared to both control non-smokers and erectile dysfunction smokers. Men with erectile dysfunction who smoked had a significantly higher plasma fibrinogen level than control smokers. Similarly, men with erectile dysfunction, who did not smoke had higher levels of plasma fibrinogen compared to both smokers and non-smokers without erectile dysfunction. No significant difference in serum lipoprotein-a values was found.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support the concept that cardiovascular risk factors are predictors of erectile dysfunction and that this may be another manifestation of vascular disease.
Sullivan
M E
ME
Department of Urology, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Miller
M A
MA
Bell
C R
CR
Jagroop
I A
IA
Thompson
C S
CS
Khan
M A
MA
Morgan
R J
RJ
Mikhailidis
D P
DP
D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
D008055:Lipids; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D005340:Fibrinogen; D002784:Cholesterol