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Cardiac sexology: can we save a patient's life and his love life?

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 20, page S1 (2008)Cite this article

At the European Society of Sexual Medicine (ESSM) annual meeting in November 2007, Eli Lilly and Company sponsored a symposium entitled ‘Cardiac sexology: can we save a patient's life and his love life?’ The aim of this meeting was not only to give participants valuable information about the etiologic links between erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but also to provide a glance into a future that I would like to call ‘Cardiac Sexology’ and how this might affect clinical practice. This supplement provides an overview of the three presentations and provides answers to some of the audience's questions.

In our first paper, Dr François Giuliano (France) reviews the latest research on endothelial dysfunction and ED, emphasizing the importance of knowing their connection. Penile erection, a complex neurovascular process, depends on the control of blood flow by endothelium-dependent vasodilatation. ED is predominantly a disease of vascular origin (mainly because of endothelial dysfunction). Endothelial dysfunction is also common in many other clinical conditions, providing a unifying link between CVD and ED. This article describes the epidemiology and pathophysiology of ED, as well as the close association of ED with CVD. In addition, evidence for ED as a valuable early marker for CVD, particularly in men with diabetes or those who are obese, is summarized.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge medical writing support by Jackie Phillipson of Gardiner-Caldwell Communications; this support was funded by Eli Lilly and Company. Diane Stothard (Eli Lilly and Company) provided support by reviewing this article.

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  1. Cardiothoracic Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    G Jackson

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  1. G Jackson
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Correspondence to G Jackson.

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Graham Jackson has received lecture fees from Pfizer and Eli Lilly.

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Jackson, G. Cardiac sexology: can we save a patient's life and his love life?. Int J Impot Res 20 (Suppl 2), S1 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2008.45

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