title: Erectile dysfunction, metabolic syndrome and arterial disease. Clinical-pathological relation by carotid ultrasonography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Different studies have shown the relationship between erectile dysfunction, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of arteriopathy performing carotid ultrasound in patients with and without erectile dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a case-control study with 44 patients consulting for erectile dysfunction and 20 controls. All subjects completed the IIEF-5 test and we studied the criteria for metabolic syndrome, and a carotid ultrasound to study the intima-media thickness and the presence of atherosclerotic plaques was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean intima-media thickness was .71mm±.21 for the right and of .71±.17 for the left carotid in patients with erectile dysfunction. In the control group, the means were .54±0.11 and 0.59±0.15mm respectively, statistically significant differences (P=.02 and P=.05 respectively). No plaque was found in any control, but in 25% of both carotid arteries of patients with erectile dysfunction (P=.01). As metabolic syndrome, according to the American Heart Association, were diagnosed 52.8% of patients with erectile dysfunction, and 16.7% of controls, and according to the International Diabetes Federation, 52.3% of patients with erectile dysfunction and 25% of controls met diagnostic criteria. In both cases there were significant differences (P<.01 and P=.02 respectively). We found a positive linear correlation between waist circumference and the intima-media thickness in both carotid (P<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with erectile dysfunction may be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, as determined by the presence of arterial disease in the carotid arteries, which indicates that we should made a more thorough and comprehensive study of patients with erectile dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: UGC Urología, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, Granada, España. Electronic address: arrabalp@ono.com.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Arrabal-Polo
authors.affiliation: UGC Angiología y Cirugía Vascular, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, Granada, España.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vera-Arroyo
authors.affiliation: UGC Urología, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, Granada, España.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lahoz-García
authors.affiliation: UGC Urología, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, Granada, España.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valderrama-Illana
authors.affiliation: UGC Urología, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, Granada, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cámara-Ortega
authors.affiliation: UGC Urología, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, Granada, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arrabal-Martín
authors.affiliation: UGC Urología, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, Granada, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zuluaga-Gomez
authors.affiliation: UGC Urología, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, Granada, España.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lopez-Carmona Pintado
mesh_terms: D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055105:Waist Circumference
keywords: Disfunción eréctil; Ecografía carótidas; Erectile dysfunction; Grosor íntima-media; Intima-media thickness; Metabolic syndrome; Síndrome metabólico; Ultrasound carotid arteries