title: Cardiovascular mortality in men with erectile dysfunction: increased risk but not inevitable.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is unclear whether men with erectile dysfunction (ED) ultimately die of cardiovascular (CV) causes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the causes of death in men with ED and their risk of CV death.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on statutory death registrations and hospital morbidity data, the risk of CV death in men with ED in a linked-data study was assessed against the CV mortality risk in a reference male population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Deaths from CV causes as proportions of all deaths. Age-specific rate, mortality rate ratio (MRR), standardized mortality rate ratio (SMRR), and adjusted hazard ratio (HR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  CV mortality was 4.0%. Compared with the reference population, the risk of CV death was higher in men with ED (SMRR 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6, 3.0). Risk of CV mortality was higher in men with CV disease prior to ED (adjusted HR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1, 2.6) or with history of hospital admissions for CV events (adjusted HR 2.2; 95% CI 1.3, 3.8), compared with those without the respective history. MRR was significantly increased in the 40-69 years age group (MRR 4.1; 95% CI 3.2, 5.2). The median time interval between manifestation of ED and CV death was 10.0 years. A greater proportion of deaths from oncological than from CV causes (25.0% vs. 10.8%) occurred within the first 5 years of the manifestation of ED.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the risk of CV mortality is greater in men with ED, almost as many men die of oncological as of CV causes, with a higher proportion of oncological deaths occurring sooner subsequent to the first manifestation of ED.
authors.affiliation: Keogh Institute for Medical Research, Nedlands, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia. kewkimchew@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Kew-Kim
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sanfilippo
authors.forename: Bronwyn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stuckey
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bremner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D018783:Impotence, Vasculogenic / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012306:Risk; D014904:Western Australia; D055815:Young Adult