title: Independent determinants of coronary artery disease in erectile dysfunction patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is growing evidence of a link between erectile dysfunction (ED) and coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to explore the independent determinants of CAD in ED outpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study enrolled 243 patients, ranging in age from 21 to 81 years old, suffering from ED as diagnosed by the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scores. All patients underwent exercise stress tests or thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography perfusion imagings. Based on examination results, patients were divided into study (22 patients with a positive finding) and control groups (221 patients with a negative finding).
  
  
  METHODS
  The differences of demographic characteristics, biochemical profiles, pro-inflammatory and inflammatory markers, and echocardiographic characteristics between study and control group were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age, presence of DM and current smoking status were significant high in the study group. A significant lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, a higher percentage of HDL cholesterol level < 40 mg/dL, and a higher apo-lipoprotein B/A1, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and homocysteine found in the study group. The Framingham cardiac risk scores, the ratio of mitral inflow velocity to early diastolic velocity in the annulus derived by tissue Doppler imaging (E/Et), the ratio of E/Et > or = 15, the value of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and IMT > or = 1 mm were higher in study group than in the control group. In stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis, a high waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), high IMT, high E/Et, hs-CRP levels, LDL cholesterol > or = 130 mg/dL, smoking status, and the presence of DM and metabolic syndrome (MS) were independent determinants of CAD in ED patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study first shows the independent determinants of CAD in ED outpatients. This novel finding may improve the screening of low-risk ED patients for CAD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Tai
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chi-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Jen-Te
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Ju-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Chang-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Yun-Shing
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Pao-Yin
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jia-Jen
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Shee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D018783:Impotence, Vasculogenic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D055815:Young Adult