Why do patients with heart failure suffer from erectile dysfunction? A critical review and suggestions on how to approach this problem

Rastogi, S
Rodriguez, J J
Kapur, V
Schwarz, E R

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas, USA

International Journal of Impotence Research (2005) 17, S25-S26. doi:10.1038/sj.ijir.3901426

*Correspondence: ER Schwarz, MD, PhD, FESC, FACC, FSCAI, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd., 5.106 John Sealy Annex, Galveston, TX 77555-0553, USA. E-mail: [email protected]

International Journal of Impotence Research 17:p S25-S36, December 2005.

Chronic heart failure (HF) is an increasingly common cardiovascular disorder. The goal of healthcare providers is to optimize quality of life in this population, including sexual health. Up to 75% of patients with HF report erectile dysfunction (ED). As HF is a condition with distinct physiologic sequelae, some unique organic and psychological factors contributing to ED in this patient population have been identified, along with risk factors common to the development of coronary artery disease, HF and ED. This review describes contributing factors to ED in the setting of HF and highlights treatment considerations for this distinct patient population.