Forekomst og behandling af seksuel dysfunktion ved hjertesygdom

Several links have been established between sexual dysfunction and heart disease. Indeed, many risk factors for developing sexual dysfunction are shared by coronary artery disease: age, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolaemia. It should also be borne in mind that in men several cardiac drugs are responsible for erectile dysfunction (ED). Lastly it should be remembered that treatment of ED may be associated with cardiovascular side-effects. Data from the literature show that men with coronary artery disease, hypertension or diabetes have an up to fourfold higher risk of developing ED than have age-matched controls. Thiazide diuretics and beta-blockers are the most common drugs that produce ED. Current therapies for ED are safe and effective in the large majority of patients with cardiovascular disease. However, the concomitant use of nitrates and sildenafil may be life-threatening, and nitrate therapy is therefore contra-indicated in patients taking sildenafil--and vice versa.
Udgivelsesdato: 2002-Oct-7