Erectile dysfunction as a predictor of cardiovascular events and death in diabetic patients with angiographically proven asymptomatic coronary artery disease: a potential protective role for statins and 5-phosphodiesterase inhibitors.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to investigate whether erectile dysfunction (ED) is a predictor of future cardiovascular events and death in diabetic patients with silent coronary artery disease (CAD) and whether there are predictors of cardiovascular events and death among CAD diabetic patients with ED.


BACKGROUND
Case-control studies showed that ED is associated with CAD in diabetic patients, but no prospective study is available.


METHODS
Type 2 diabetic men (n = 291) with silent CAD angiographically documented were recruited. Erectile dysfunction was assessed by the International Index Erectile Function-5 questionnaire.


RESULTS
During a follow-up period of 47.2 +/- 21.8 months (range 4 to 82 months), 49 patients experienced major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The difference in ED prevalence between patients with and those without MACE was significant (61.2% vs. 36.4%; p = 0.001). Cox regression analysis showed that ED predicted MACE (hazard ratio [HR] 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6 to 2.6; p < 0.001). Among patients with CAD and ED, the Kaplan-Meier method showed that the statin (Mantel log-rank test: 3.921; p = 0.048) and 5-phosphodiesterase (5-PDE) inhibitor use (Mantel log-rank test: 4.608; p = 0.032) were associated with a lower rate of MACE. Cox regression analysis showed that statin use (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.46 to 0.97; p = 0.036) reduced MACE. Treatment with 5-PDE inhibitors did not enter the model, but its p value was very near to the significant level (HR 0.68; 95% CI 0.46 to 1.01; p = 0.056).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data first show that ED is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients with silent CAD and that the treatment with statins and 5-PDE inhibitors might reduce the occurrence of MACE among CAD diabetic patients with ED.
Gazzaruso
Carmine
C
Cardio-Metabolic Unit and the Centre for Applied Clinical Research (Ce.R.C.A.) Clinical Institute Beato Matteo, Hospital Group San Donato, Vigevano, Italy. c.gazzaruso@tele2.it
Solerte
Sebastiano B
SB
Pujia
Arturo
A
Coppola
Adriana
A
Vezzoli
Monia
M
Salvucci
Fabrizio
F
Valenti
Cinzia
C
Giustina
Andrea
A
Garzaniti
Adriana
A
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000150:complications*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors