Impotence 'strong predictor' of heart attacks

"Impotence is a strong predictor of heart attack and death among high-risk patients, German researchers have said. The study of 1,519 men who already had cardiovascular disease found those who were also impotent had twice the risk of a heart attack or death as the rest. The University of Saarland report, published in the journal Circulation, suggests men with impotence should be checked for cardiovascular disease. Some experts want doctors to ask about impotence in over-40s health checks. Impotence is linked to inadequate blood flow in the penile arteries. These are much smaller than coronary arteries. So for some men, a persistent failure to get an erection might be an early sign that his arteries are narrowing. The study followed men from 13 countries who already had cardiovascular disease. It monitored whether they went on to have heart attacks or strokes. The participants were also asked about their erectile dysfunction at the start, after two years and after five years" - BBC